That's Not How it Works- Yeah It Is
by Starjargon
Summary: Series of one-shots involving the River and the Ponds and occasionally the Doctor. Also, expect some cameos from other characters in the Whoniverse...
1. I Wasn't Talking about Him

**A/N: I heart the Ponds! So, this will be a series of one-shots that explores different aspects of the Pond's relationships to each other, and the Doctor, mostly involving Amy and Rory's screwy relationship with their daughter. (Let this serve as a warning to any crazy River- haters out there. If you don't like her, you more than likely won't enjoy this fic.) Disclaimer: I don't own Doctor Who. Or the Ponds. Or any people for that fact. Thank you Steven Moffatt for your characters, and BBC for broadcasting them.**

**This one deals with the evolution of Mel's attitude in Let's Kill Hitler toward Rory. I thought I got a little stylistically awkward in the middle, but please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy!**

She had found her. Inexplicably, really and truly found her. She was so very young, but just the person she had imagined all those lonely years in the orphanage and the streets. Amelia Pond. The girl who was waiting.

Melody didn't want to be found again, not by her captors. Not by the Spaceman. She reinvented herself, in more ways than one. Life on the streets had taught her how to survive at any cost, and a life imprisoned had taught her how to manipulate any type of confinement- physical or otherwise. So she broke rules, ran when she needed, stole, lied, cheated- anything necessary to stay ahead. And it paid off at last. She had found her mother in a sleepy little town on a small island on the other side of the world.

Amelia was an outcast when her daughter found her. She kept going on about an imaginary friend who only Melody, now Mels, truly accepted as real. Despite the psychiatrists, or rumors, or looks, or complaints, Mels encouraged her mum's fascination with the Raggedy Doctor, and joined in. Not only because she knew he was real, but because she wanted her mother's affection, and listening when no one else would seemed to earn it. She relished the connection with the girl who would one day love her more than anything else in the universe. Then _he_ came along.

Amelia had known Rory for almost a half a year before Mels had found her, and that gave him an unfair advantage. Because though Mels _knew_ her mum wasn't crazy, he had played along with her despite the whispers and isolation. He was her mum's best friend first. And it annoyed her.

No one would take Amelia away from her- not when it had taken Melody so long to find her. So she encouraged Amy to brush him off. They would play hide- and- not- seek; tag- he's always it, and blind man's bluff in which he was always cold. She couldn't stand her mother's attention divided from her, so she did her best to make the young Williams boy feel as unwelcome as possible, giving whining tones and eye rolls whenever he was around. And he was always around.

Mels had a penchant for giving people titles instead of names. Call it a defense mechanism. Or, in actuality, the one part of her lifetime of training that was wholly hers. She could call people what she liked, as long as she was completely focused on her mission. For the astronaut of her childhood, she had The Spaceman. For that elusive target of her future assassination attempts, she was alternating between Sweetie, My Love, and Idiot; she just couldn't decide if he deserved irony or a direct shot to his overlarge ego. But, for young Rory, she was partial to Mr. Clingy.

For years, she did her best to make Amelia ignore him, and she did her personal best to cut him out of their lives. But he just kept coming back. She had to hand it to him; he was unshakably loyal to Amelia. After awhile, she began to admire his tenacity. Then she began to observe him. To really take him in. After the fourth psychiatrist, her mother had begun to go by Amy, in an attempt to shake off her "A Mad Amelia" label and also to come to terms with the idea that her Raggedy Doctor really was imaginary. This, along with nature's developments, had made her more noticeable to the same boys who had once dared taunt her mum. Mr. Hypocrite, she called each of them. Mels, of course, had punched any boy who had even come close to teasing Amelia, and hated that they now thought they were worthy of her. She privately noted she had never had that problem with Rory Williams. He had treated Amelia as priceless for as long as she could remember, never calling her crazy and even dressing up as, in his mind, a fictional figment of his friend's imagination.

She began to appreciate the little things Rory did, compared to the other blokes in her mother's life. Like how he would offer to carry her things, and not just as an excuse to make her walk with him. Or, how he would stare at her when she wasn't looking, but not in a creepy, stalker, lustful way like every other boy. Just as though he couldn't quite believe she was real. She noticed he actually listened to what Amy said, and didn't just tune her out and gawk while she was talking. His hugs were for genuine comfort and affection, never used an excuse to grope. And, if she was completely honest with herself, she also appreciated how she too was always included in their small circle.

If (on the rare occasion) Mels had books, Rory carried two sets. If she spoke, he listened to her, too. He never treated her like she was an object or a third wheel, never took to heart her insults, never tried to shut her out of Amy's life like she had done to him. After many years of close observation, she came to the conclusion that he really was as selfless as he seemed. Slowly, her appreciation became admiration. In all her years of imagining a true relationship with her mother, she had never allowed herself to hope for the same with a father. But, the more she saw of Rory, the more she let herself dream that such a good man could belong to her in the same way Amy belonged to her.

When creepy, slightly- off Jeff came into the picture and Mels saw a true comparison for the first time of another man in Amy's life, that cinched it. Rory was her father. She felt it in her bones. He was the only one who would ever be worthy of her good- hearted, if somewhat thick, mum. From then on, her fantasies took off. The three of them, a true and proper family. Now including a man who would always think she was beautiful just because she was his. Who would always come for her even if there were an army in his way. Who would never let her down and who would be worth waiting for. Ironically, plain and simple Rory Williams from Leadworth fit all these dreams.

Amy had forgotten what it was to be on the outside, but Mels never did. The outside provided a perfect view. Where others saw a scrawny boy who couldn't hold his own, she saw a guy who would fight even harder for what was his. Where Amy saw an awkward and quiet schoolboy who mumbled and stuttered in front of her, Mels saw a young man so in love it befuddled him. People saw someone to ignore, she saw remarkably subtle and sweet. Others saw weak, she saw a power yet to be fully grasped. He was, she realized, Mr. Understated. Her ostracized view allowed her to see so many different facets of a man Amy was still brushing off, that she decided without a doubt he was surely the man who helped make her who she was.

And so, if she had any hope of being born or having a relationship with her father, she had to make an effort to undo all the damage she had wreaked as a child. She invited him along when they went to parties. Even took up some of the required reading if it meant he had to be in the same room as Amy and her to complete their studies. She made sure to support any of his dreams as she always had for her mother, and she smiled to herself when he asked her opinion when he decided to go into nursing, like she mattered too. She couldn't deny loving him as a second closest friend, and tried her best to truly get to know him on his own merit.

Whereas when they were kids, she and Amy had tried to run him out of their sphere, Mels now made a genuine effort to bring him closer to them. There was a time when their games ensured he would always be in a separate room, but now she invited him in for his input in their conversations, until he too had garnered his own spot at Amy's. She relished the burgeoning relationship of the two who were surely her parents, and even loved the fact that this man she had come to accept as her dad joined in on her mother's scoldings toward her.

She just had to open Amy's eyes so she could stop wasting her time with anyone else and see what was in front of her. What she had always had. What Mels not only envied but also hoped to have for herself one day. A man who was gentle enough to truly care for all others, but strong enough to fight for what was right even if he couldn't possibly win. Someone who would scold her to do what was necessary but always come for her when she called, without question. She learned from him a patience to wait for the person she loved, and (secretly) she gained a love of knowledge. He didn't have the over- the- top temper of her mother, but his firm chastisements reprimanded just the same. He indirectly taught her to be as straightforward as possible, but to balance rebuke with uncompromising love. And, she learned that it was sometimes necessary to love quietly but unconditionally if that love wasn't ready to be returned.

Her former annoyance now turned on her mother who couldn't appreciate the man in front of her. The man who was so much more than he seemed. The man who _was_ worth waiting for. He was, she realized at last, Mr. Perfect.


	2. You Have Always Wanted Kids

**A/N: Because I'm reading a ridiculously angsty fic and I need to cheer up a little!**

He had been a father for such a relatively short time now- officially. Sure, his daughter was who knows how much older than he was, and he knew her long before she was born, but she was his nonetheless. He had never changed a diaper, or stayed up all night with a teething infant. He had missed her first steps, and had never gotten to go to any dance recitals, or- considering who his daughter was, Jiu-Jitsu/ gun handling/ fencing/ hotwiring demonstrations. He had very unknowingly talked her through her first heartbreaks and missed official father- daughter dances. He had finally processed who she was and how their relationship would be if they were to have one. And now, one thing he really, secretly hoped for during these first few months back in the real world, was to be able to show off the girl who had once stolen his heart faster than he could breathe.

He and Amy had discussed it, and though Amy was slightly opposed to it, he maintained that people who could accept a "magical" blue box with an imaginary friend showing up at their wedding could learn to accept a daughter they had known but never knew their whole life. They had explained to the Ponds and Williams that Mels had just kept running that day she stole the car, and that they would hear from her on her different adventures now and again. Not a complete lie.

She would pop into their lives every few weeks or so. But, he was still a new father and he did find himself missing her when she was gone, and honestly- he wanted to be able to brag like all his other friends who were becoming fathers all around him. He was going crazy with the thought that he would never get his 'look what my kid did' or 'that's my girl moment' like all of his friends were having.

He saw the look on Amy's face when she would call; saw how it lit up just hearing her voice. Her parents, and his, had begun to bring up the issue of children more often than not now in their conversations, and he saw how much this hurt his wife, and he knew how much it hurt him. They had just found out Amy couldn't have any more children, which rubbed salt on already open wounds, but made the longing for his only daughter even that much more fierce. If she was all he would ever have, then everyone in his life would know her. He was determined.

It was near Father's Day when he thought he would have his first opportunity to show her off. She explained she had long ago "borrowed" a vortex manipulator from a Time Agent who had tried unsuccessfully to add another notch to his bedpost when she came and zapped them to one of her digs, where he did get the enviable bragging rights of being _Doctor_ River Song's father. He was incredibly proud of the title, even if that was how he'd always known this incarnation. His mind kept wondering back to hours spent trying to coax Mels to open a book, to apply herself, and to her constant answering eye rolls and sarcastic, or so he'd thought at the time, 'whatever Dad's.' But she had become this. The one to whom everyone else deferred. The woman who knew all the histories and how to approach them. Who was in charge of the dozens of people at the site. He felt so proud he almost burst. That was enough, for now.

He then thought her birthday would be his opportunity. However, this time Amy insisted on letting River choose what they did with no complaints. And, he had to admit, when it came around, with all the sadness and pain they hadn't fully dealt with still fresh, he couldn't have properly planned anything anyway. She was younger this time and gave them a tour of the moon, where she proudly showed them all her classes, (Amy teased her about how she only paid attention in Earth History 303 because of the hot professor) and told him excitedly she was at the top of her class and well on her way to a doctorate. They acted appropriately surprised and asked all the right questions, then gave her their present. They had brought copies of every photo they had of her, beginning with the TARDIS' unclear scans of his pregnant wife on through the photos Amy had long ago forced the Doctor to retrieve of young Melody, and of their life with Mels. They had captioned each of them either with a reminder of what they had been doing if they had known her, or individual declarations of love if they didn't. They took a picture together in front of her school to add to the collection, and helped her paste them in her as- of- yet nearly empty, bigger on the inside diary. Later, Amy and he laughed at the strange new idea that they knew more than the infamous River Song.

On _his_ birthday, they simply stayed in. River had brought all the letters she had written them when she was a child- unsent of course. It was proving such an emotional day that he barely managed to accept all the calls and to make appropriate excuses for why Amy and he decided to stay home, citing that they wanted to celebrate the holidays together as newlyweds. So much had happened in this past year, from a Leadworth point- of- view, that he sometimes forgot that he _was_ still a newlywed. But, he was also a newly dad. Was that a phrase? He decided he must be, because reading his little girl's words as she hoped her daddy would come for her tomorrow broke his heart in ways he wouldn't have thought possible a few months ago. She had even written to him as Mels, voicing thoughts that wouldn't have made sense to him at the time. They all laughed and cried as they reminisced over times past, with the new knowledge of who had been there with them all along.

It was the birthday party for Amy where it first happened. They had had lunch with their parents earlier that day, and now it was all their closest friends at their favorite pub. Things were just getting underway, when in popped Melody Pond (Williams!) in all her glory, looking very pleased with herself as she held up a giant box with carefully translated alien that covered her sight as she shouted, "Happy Birthday, Mum!" The whole pub grew silent, and it wasn't until River lowered the box that she realized her faux-pas.

Amy was speechless. The whole pub stared was staring between the three of them in confusion. River glanced around, horrified, and looked as though she were about to run. Finally, Rory saw his chance. And, if Amy got mad at him later, he would point out that he'd had no choice. He ran to River's side, put a hand on her shoulder to keep her in place, grabbed Amy's hand, and said, "Everyone, this is our daughter- _Doctor_ Song! Or, as you might remember her, Mels!" Amy shot him a look, but for once the Centurion who couldn't protect his baby girl didn't back down. He gently guided his daughter to a stunned Jeff, who was sitting in the table next to theirs, and said, "Jeff, this beautiful, intelligent, amazing woman is my daughter. _Doctor_ Song," he couldn't help repeating.

River looked caught between wanting to die at her foolish gaffe and feeling sheepish under her father's praise. "Dad, you don't have to emphasize that _every_ time," she said under her breath, still unsure of her place in their lives now.

Rory stood his ground, silently holding his girls' hands and staring at the man who had once made him feel so insecure. Good ol' Jeff, so different since the incident with Prisoner Zero and the Doctor. He gaped for a moment more, before clearing his throat and saying, "Well, then, a toast to Amy and Rory's… daughter. _Doctor_ Melody Song." Everyone awkwardly raised their glasses, trying to process this impossible information, before the crowds converged. "It's River now," corrected his only child, "And my father just likes to brag."

"Oh, let him brag!" Amy had finally come out of her daze, "I want to open my present!"

They spent the rest of the night laughing and answering millions of questions and toasting everything they could think of. Honestly, quite a bit more toasting than was absolutely necessary. Then, as River settled in once more around her former peers, charming even the most skeptical of their friends, Rory proudly found his fellow fathers and he pointed, with a colossal smile on his face and absolute pride in his voice, "Her- right there- that's my girl."

* * *

**A/N- The final River is either extremely young, so is still trying to get used to time travel and reveals, or is old enough to already be known to their friends and got the time wrong so she arrived unknowingly when they all "meet" her, comparable to not realizing the Doctor had never kissed her before. Your choice.**


	3. What You are Going to be, Melody

She couldn't give her much. In fact, she could barely give her anything other than tales of a father she hoped she'd one day meet and the unwavering motherly love she prayed she'd always feel. So, this was it. Her one shot. The one thing that she could bestow on the unexpected miracle in her arms. A name. It had to be perfect.

When she woke up in that dark tube, alone, terrified, and in more pain than she'd ever imagined possible, she thought back to the picture that could never be. Where she was holding a child. Her child. Their child. Their daughter. The one she didn't understand. Who'd cried to her for help. Who she should have run to and embraced but instead shot at. Who still came back afterward and found her once again. Who stared at her with her eyes and Rory's nose and pleaded desperately for help from this same woman who had nearly killed her. That beautiful girl who didn't deserve to be alone, but had been strong enough to escape the monsters.

When she first held her in her arms, she couldn't stop the wide smile that spread across her face, and she realized that the sudden flash would one day become the picture in her daughter's shabby, dingy room. But, it didn't matter; she was planning to rewrite time.

Amy knew she had to do right by her. She had to give her a name that meant something, even if it was only to her, because when she got her baby back, and _she would get her back_, she would tell her daughter how special she had always been- right from the beginning. She needed a name to ward away the coming pain in both their lives. That would fit the courageous little girl in Florida.

She began to think of everyone she knew, hoping to steal a worthy name off one of them. Though Amelia the second sounded tempting, she suddenly felt unworthy of the honor that that bestowed moniker would come with. The Doctor would've wanted her to name the baby after him, but how impractical and cruel would that be to her little girl? Fleetingly, Amy realized she didn't even know her best friend's real name- but now was not the time for such thoughts. Rory wouldn't ever approve anyway. Roranica also briefly trickled across her jumbled, rushed mind.

She thought of her mother- sure, sassy, and easy to be around. A mother who she had barely known in another life. No, too close to the situation at hand. Tabetha was out.

Then there was the ever-present Aunt Sharon. Who had been strict and kind but had always tried to talk her out of her "delusions" and who had given up shouting for her when she was 7 and hiding in a museum. No. Her daughter would not be like that. Not ever. She would be strong, and would accept people's differences, and always come back, and never give up on the people she loved.

Amy strongly considered naming her daughter after her time-traveling, feisty friend River Song. She was definitely someone to admire. She was flirty and funny and courageous and never one to back down. Amy almost did it. She imagined a little River, running around in the TARDIS, causing mayhem for the Doctor that he would secretly love. But, Amy knew so little about River, and River barely knew her. Would she think it presumptuous that a girl she had spent only a few months with named her child after her? And, what about all of River's secrets? She had killed a man- was in a maximum security prison because of it. She never had said who, only that he had been a very good man. That legacy didn't bode well for her little girl. Another thing was the backwards-ness of River and the Doctor's relationship. Amy found it incredibly tragic. Yes, she decided. River was someone she hoped her daughter could be like some day. But, she never wanted her to experience the heartache that that woman had or would have.

Then the obvious choice came to mind, and Amy mentally slapped herself. There was only one person in her life, well, female anyway, who was worthy of her daughter. Mels had never laughed at Amy for her obsession with the Doctor. She had never been sarcastic when she asked questions about her imaginary friend; in fact, she was the only other person who insisted he wasn't imaginary. She had been so instrumental in Amy's life. It was because of her that Amy kept the faith in the Doctor all those years. Mels had lost her parents too, though she still never gave any details as to how. But, unlike Amy, her parents didn't come back after the Pandorica. Mels never seemed to resent it though. Just clung to Amy and Rory like they were all the family she ever needed. She had that same feistiness Amy admired in River- always finding trouble and extremely unapologetic about doing so. A bit like Amy herself if she was honest. And, even though it seemed Amy was constantly scolding her or bailing her out of trouble, she also appreciated the fact that Mels always called her first, and automatically trusted she would come for her.

Mels also tended to show an uncharacteristic patience around Amy, always leading her on to something better or bigger. It was at her "nudging" that she first realized her feelings for Rory. She had believed her when Amy said she remembered a world in which she was alone in her big empty house. She had gone to the store with her then waited by her side on the test that had initially confirmed this pregnancy. She was always so loyal and so sly and so outrageous. And, though furious her friend would steal a bus just for kicks, Amy was no angel herself. She too could never resist a locked door or a challenge or a good time. Her, well human, best friend fit her so completely and was so... so.. _cool._ Exactly like her daughter would be. She would never regret her past, she would never back down from a fight, she would break the rules that needed to be broken. She would be loyal and loving and funny and just the right amount of pushy. And Amy would love her and Rory would love her and the Doctor would love her and she would love the Doctor. She would be just like the friend who had always been there for her for almost as long as she could remember. She would be downright heroic.

Yes, Amy decided, giving her daughter her final gift. A name that, to her, meant fearless and surprising and faithful. Because the baby girl in her arms really was the song that would help her get through the coming dark days. Her own little Melody.


	4. Incredibly Strong and Running

**A/N My brain ran away with me on this one, so it'll become its own story as I fully hash it out. But I've tried very, very hard to condense a version of it to my liking. I don't want these stories to be ridiculously long, but this tied up a few (EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING) loose ends for me. Slight angst. Please review.**

After months of chasing (or was it being chased by?) the monsters of so many years of her life, she was exhausted and ready for a party. Though she would never admit it aloud, they still frightened her. Whatever "they" were. She knew they'd muddled her brain as a child. They'd convinced the clerics to take her from her mother. They had even managed to make her kill her husband- sort of. Although, she had escaped them before they could kill her at Area 52. They really shouldn't have tried to take Rory Williams away from Amy Pond. Foolish Silence. Her mother was a force to be reckoned with.

Even after all these years, River still hadn't completely escaped the terror that surrounded her when she thought of them. And to see them over and over again these last few months had become a recurring nightmare. Even if she did forget.

So, when the invitation showed up, inviting her to one of the biggest parties in town, she decided to take a night off from the Silence and have a good time. She wore her favorite dress. (It was her husband's too, one he had always tried to get her to wear since the first night after their wedding, where she discovered he liked seeing her in "daring" outfits. She kept wearing them often as not around him for the same reason). After perfecting her makeup and gathering her hair in an elegant up- do, she stuck a marker in her clutch, just in case, and headed off to the address given.

When she got there, she couldn't help but smile at the thoughtfulness of his invite. Of course he would know how hard this would be for her. She had only confided in one other person about the recurring fear they still brought her, but she knew she'd also probably told a future Doctor at some point in order for him to arrange this to bring her out of the slowly rising panic of the past months. Believing this, she was startled to hear the voice behind her, gentle and kind and just as understanding as he'd always been.

"Hello, Doctor Song. Or have they made you a Professor yet, Melody?"

"Dad," she said, surprised but no less pleased to hear his voice- the voice of a him who knew her, "I told you, you don't always have to emphasize the _Doctor._ And no. Not a professor. Inmates would make terrible archeologists."

"You seem to do pretty well for yourself."

She turned around with smile on her face, which faltered slightly at the sight before her. He still held that same love for her she always felt from him. The same strength that made him one of her closest confidantes. And the eyes that always seemed to stare through her, getting past every mask she wore, stripping them away so she was always just his little girl. But, one thing had changed- more than she could completely fathom right now. He was old.

"H-How?"

"River. You already know the necessary answer to any questions you might ask. So skip them and dance with your Dad, huh?"

She couldn't help just one question as she took his arm, a slight confusion still clouding her features.

"Where's mum?"

"Waiting, rather patiently considering, for a dance with you."

She looked across the room at the redhead who too had aged so much.

"What're you doing here? I mean- this party, specifically?" Her surprise outweighed the rules right now.

"1969. The Silence. You once told me they still scare you, remember? Figured you could use a few hours of distraction. And you know how I am about parties like this. Whoo hoo! Party!"

"Mum dragged you here, didn't she?"

"A bit. But I really did insist on inviting you."

"Thank you. I _really_ needed it."

They danced together a few songs, then Amy, impatient as ever, cut in and after hugging their daughter tightly and frantically, danced with her a few more. Afterward they all sat around a small isolated table, talking as she hadn't been able to talk with their younger versions in so long. It was working, the stress of the past three months rolled off her almost completely in their company.

Finally, Rory looked at her seriously, taking her hand in his and squeezing slightly.

"Look River, we didn't really know how to bring this up, especially now, but it needs to be done." She turned toward him, seeing how eager he looked about… something.

"We need to ask you a favor. One we wouldn't ask if it weren't so very important." Amy said.

"Anything."

They shared a look, before Rory sighed and turned toward her.

"When all this is done- the Silence, I mean- we need you to go to Demon's Run."

"What?!" She was startled. "I can't go there. I would be crossing my own timeline."

"You can't be there until the very end. When… when you're not there anymore. I mean Melody you. But you have to go."

"But-spoilers."

"No, not spoilers. Well, sort of. But that's not what this is about. We'll need you River. Amy and I-"

"It was the worst day of my life." Amy cut in. "And I couldn't have…kept breathing… kept living… if you weren't there with me. Please, River. It's important."

How could she pass up the chance to comfort them, especially since it was the loss of her that would cause the pain?

"Of course. Of course I'll go. Did the Doctor-"

"He doesn't know about this. We think. At least he never said- But River, that's another thing. He's getting too big for himself. You have to stop him before he goes too far. You're the only one who won't back down."

She stared at them, contemplating. Then she sighed, realizing now what Demons Run would mean for him. For them.

"That's when you, when _he_ finds out isn't it? When he starts moving toward me? Or... away from me?"

"Can we answer that?"

"No, I don't suppose you can. But I'll do it. Of course I will."

"Thank you, Melody. And there's something else."

Rory held out a card to her with coordinates and a date.

"What's this?"

"Things are going to get… painful for you. Very, very soon. This is a date and a place when we'll know who you are. Use it when you're hurting."

She was speechless. How very like them. Her mother was always terrible with spoilers. Her father never could bear to see her sad. She stuck the card into her clutch, then realized her marker was missing from it. She frowned.

"We haven't got much time left, Melody. It's just about ending."

She looked up at her father's face, and couldn't decide if he meant the party or something more. He held out a box to her.

"I've been waiting quite a while to give you this."

Inside was a long, beautiful gold chain.

"Thank you, Dad."

"Keep it with you, as a reminder."

"Reminder of what?"

"There's always a way out. You used to say that. Remember that, when things get scary. When you can't help but feel terror, remember this River Song. You're the girl who escapes. You fight when fate itself is against you, and no chain, prison, or monster can dare keep a hold on you. You are Melody Pond. And Melody Pond-"

"Is a superhero."

She felt moisture in her eyes as they got up and made their way out of the ballroom. Her father held out her marker to her, he'd retrieved it from the table. She didn't have to ask what it was doing there.

"You should run." He said, looking at her arms pointedly, where she already had tally marks dark on her skin. She put her marker on her new chain and stuck it around her neck, the dread already beginning to creep in again.

They both put their arms around her, holding her closely, keeping the monsters at bay. As she breathed in the scent of them, so different and yet so the same as the people she'd always know, had known, she felt a bittersweet feeling in her stomach. She was so, so grateful they had given her a few hours' peace, yet couldn't shake the feeling they were having a last of some sort.

She gathered strength from them as her mother kissed her forehead and said, "And look after you too."

She didn't have time to be confused by the statement before her father kissed the top of her head, then took her face in his hands as he looked deep into her eyes. "Doctor Song." He smiled a goodbye.

* * *

She ran from them, as she always had done. Into the highest building she could find, hoping they inhabited the sewers out of distaste for heights. No such luck. She was so scared her breath caught, she didn't know if she could handle this. When she got to the edge of the building, Canton baited her. She smiled then, truly, as she repeated the words her parents had given her and remembered the chain around her neck and what it meant. The Silence was after her. Foolish Silence. She was River Song. The daughter of a Amelia Pond and Rory Williams. She, too, was a force to be reckoned with.


	5. I Can be Brave for You

**A/N- Not so much centered on River, but a different Pond. And the Doctor. The idea came from reading a different fanfic that let Rory say goodbye. It drove me crazy that the Doctor didn't even speak to Amy and Rory in Closing Time. (Roranicus is an awesome name that needs to be used at every possible available moment.) Also, I answered one of my own long- standing questions about The Wedding of River Song. Please let me know what you think- I stink at dialogue, and really want to improve. Disclaimer- all quotes belong to Steven Moffat and the BBC. I like to borrow from the best.**

* * *

He thought he'd been undetected. That he could creep back into the shadows and carry on without them, well, let them carry on without him. But he should have known. They were his Ponds. And if there was anything he'd learned from a River who could message him 12,000 years into the future to catch her jumping out of a spaceship, or from an Amelia who could remember him when he never existed, it was that they would always find him. This time it was the male Pond who found him after he'd so cleverly hidden himself behind a short clothing rack after staring at them obviously for a few seconds too long.

"Doctor."

He pretended not to hear, but turned around when the Centurion said it a little louder, afraid he'd draw even more attention, something he really didn't need more of at the moment when he and Craig were being stealthy bumbling around the store.

"Rory! Rory the Roman. Didn't see you there. What a-" the lights flickered, "coincidence."

"Doctor, I know you saw us. You kept staring."

"Was I? I do that sometimes. Well, not so much stare as glance. For long periods of time. Or glimpse, love a good glimpse. Peeks, they're excellent too-"

"Were you going to say hello?"

"Hello! Can't talk now, things to do. Got appointments to keep. Very important. Glad we could catch up."

"Doctor, couldn't we just- could you come by the house sometime? We haven't seen you in awhile. How long's it been for you?"

"Oh two hundred years, give or take a decade."

"Two hundred years- but that would make you eleven hundred-"

"And three. Though I don't see why that matters. Not getting older. Just getting cooler."

"Right." Rory said, unable to completely mask the sadness from his face. "Very cool."

Seeing the emotions pass his old companion's visage, the Doctor stopped with the joking. "Rory- that thing. That I hadn't done yet. With the hard slap from your daughter. It's going to happen soon."

Rory almost looked away in sad realization, but decided to play it cool and knowledgeable and cohesive instead, "But you couldn't kn- how did you- why are yo- cant' you jus- how soon?"

"Couple of days."

"Does it have to? Can't you just run? Make sure doesn't, that it never happens?"

"It's a fixed point, Roranicus. Not all of time can be rewritten. And this is already set. 'An impossible astronaut will rise from the deep and strike the Time Lord dead.'"

Rory nearly broke at that.

"But Doctor, who is the astronaut? It can't be River? She's fixed. Since Berlin. She wouldn't want to kill you anymore."

"I doubt they'll give her the choice. But Rory, do me one last favor."

"Of course. Anything. Anything you ask."

"Be there for her. She'll blame herself for not being able to stop it, and that's something that should never ever happen. Please."

"Of course Doctor. Always. But- well, I don't understand. Why does it have to be her? Why make her kill you? Can't they find anyone else? If they're so bent on your destruction, why not use someone who never needed brainwashing in the first place? Listen to my rambling- as though I'm asking your favorite recipe," he added, no longer able to quite stand the solemnity of the moment.

"They don't just want to kill me, they want to hurt me. Dead at the hands of my best friend's daughter. What could hurt worse than that?"

"But what about her?"

"Collateral damage. In their eyes, anyway. Someone convenient to take the fall. That's why I'm counting on you, Centurion. Make sure no matter how they use her, they'll never have her. Swear to me."

Rory looked so lost. Torn between wanting to save his friend and wanting to kill him himself so his daughter wouldn't ever feel the pain he knew it would cause her. But he tried to accept what had to happen. What had happened. What would always happen.

"I swear Doctor. No matter what."

"Good man. Now, steer clear of any cyber… things you come across will you Pond? And jammie dodgers."

"What?!"

"My favorite recipe. It's a special one for jammie dodgers. Instead of a heart there's a bowtie in the middle. It's cool."

"Oh. Right."

They looked at each other awkwardly for a few minutes, and just as the Doctor was about to turn away, Rory grabbed him and pulled him into a hug.

"You're a good man, too you know. Even if sometimes you forget."

The Doctor hugged back tightly, grateful for this absolution. Here was Rory the Roman, so much a better man than he. The Doctor had invaded and destroyed every aspect of his life, from his childhood to his child, yet here he was, offering comfort- how very like Rory. There was a strength in him, in all of them, that he needed now. The Doctor, though he would never admit it, was scared. But, now he had a plan. He would go to his death, since he knew he had no choice. Bravely even. But he would make absolutely sure that his Ponds were with him when he did.


	6. Some Good Stuff Too

Many of her friends were politically minded. Of course they were. And so was she. Knowing the results of elections didn't stop her campaigning for her own causes. Of course she made Rory help. When it was announced that Richard Nixon was once again running for president of the United States, she campaigned for him- hard. She celebrated when he won, and praised every accomplishment he had.

Everyone who stopped by the Williams' house knew never to say a single bad word against the new Commander- in- Chief, but no one ever knew why. Not really. His first term was filled with achievements praised the world over. But his second started out so poorly and ended so abruptly, yet Amy would never hear any bad thing about him. Not when the Watergate scandal rocked the country. Not when his Vice President resigned. Not when he was about to be impeached. Not when he stepped down.

And Amy could never give them any satisfying answers as to why she defended him so vigorously. How would they understand? Could she say she had met the man in person, and he wasn't what they were saying about him? Could she say that he had accepted help from and offered it to a mad man and his team in a blue box, unreasonable as it seemed? Or, could she perhaps say that it was her long- ago best friend that had convinced him to record his every word in the White House- a huge factor in the scandal?

She could never tell anyone any of that. But even if she could, none of those were the reason for her unyielding loyalty to the man. Not really. No. Her love of the flawed president was shared by only her husband, for the same reason.

For all of his imperfections, for all the world's doubts and misgivings, for all his triumphs and failures, all the good and all the bad- Amy, and Rory, only saw one man. He was the man who answered and helped their little girl when she needed it. And that, in their eyes, made him great.


	7. But I Haven't Yet

**A/N Confession- I actually wrote a few more chapters to this piece already, but I was concerned about the order and it took awhile before I finally figured out how to do this one, which is pivotal to at least one of the following chapters. I also wanted a little humor before I put up the more emotion- heavy one that has been ready and waiting.**

It was too good to pass up. River was always teasing them with the spoilers. And it was easy enough to convince the Doctor to go along with her, once she convinced him she would protect him. But she couldn't resist this. For years her best friend had essentially lied to her, and her daughter had pretended to barely meet her that first time on the Byzantium, then had had the nerve to forget her own father when he was erased from existence. Okay, so maybe these were just justifications to play with her once- best friend, but they were valid nonetheless.

She let some mutual friends in on her harmless little prank, sure they would love to get revenge on Mels for one thing or another. She made sure to invite River to a get- together when Rory would be working, so adamant was he against incurring the wrath of Doctor River Song- the woman with her mother's temper.

The Doctor came along and played nice and casual, still slightly nervous about upsetting his wife. His wife who carried a gun. His wife who had technically already killed him twice. Who liked to slap him when angry and had no qualms about shooting at him, well, close to his head anyway. Amy promised him a ridiculous hat and he agreed again, still unsure.

Amy pretended to be in the middle of telling the Doctor a joke, when River popped up and asked what was so funny. Amy looked at her in confusion, the rest of the room went silent and awkward at the unexpected intruder who appeared out of nowhere.

River looked around her, puzzled by the stares she was getting.

"Mum..?"

That caused a lot of perplexed gasps as Amy and her guests looked around for this middle- aged woman's mother. The Doctor stared at River in askance, his eyebrows shooting up.

"Doctor," Amy leaned in and stage- whispered. "Who is this?"

River nearly hyperventilated as she realized what was happening. She'd gotten the date wrong. Again. The time. The place. But… but how? It didn't matter. She had just released a major spoiler and now she had to try to find a suitable explanation for the familiar faces around her. But, if Amy didn't recognize her, did that mean the Doctor-

"Sweetie-"

"This is an old… well, this is Doctor River Song."

Okay, so he knew her. But he couldn't put a name to their relationship, so this was obviously very early in his time stream.

River looked around at the people surrounding her, once so comfortable in her presence and now staring at her like she had grown another head. Okay, she could deal with this. She could always run. Sounded good. But now her mother- who apparently hadn't met her yet, was standing and coming toward her, hand outstretched.

"Amelia Pond. I travel with the Doctor."

River numbly took her hand.

"Hello. I… meet up with him too sometimes."

"Ooh. Meet up with him." Amy's eyes were truly devilish now as she winked before turning to her best friend, who was very busy trying to think of his new sombrero and not of how River would wreak her revenge. "Doctor, are you keeping something from me? Who is this? Your intergalactic girlfriend? Ooh- are you married?!" She squealed, really playing it up for her audience as she tried her best to fully embarrass her daughter. "Is this the wife just come from Venus or something to whisk you away for a snog? Eeww. Is she your daughter?! Why was she looking for her mum here? You have a secret family don't you?" At all these comments, the Doctor turned bright red. Though, River misinterpreted the reason why.

"No, no. Sorry. I… came looking for… no. Most definitely not his daughter. I mean- Spoilers. It's nice to meet you Amy."

River Song was flustered. And River Song didn't get flustered. She didn't like it. She was trying her best to figure out a plausible reason for why she could be here, the lie about trying to whisk the Doctor away sounded good, when the door opened and a familiar voice called out.

"Amy, do we have company?" Rory was coming through the front door. "Sorry, I didn't know we were expecting- River! What're you doing here?" He came and put an arm around her, hugging her tightly, then processed the look on her face when he first saw her. Pulling back he asked, concern lacing his voice, "You're not hurt are you? Sick? In trouble?"

Everything finally clicked, and River smirked evilly, patting her dad comfortingly before turning to the now giggling Amy behind her.

"No, no, Father dear. I'm not in trouble. But someone else definitely is." She was trained to be quick, but Amy knew her best friend too well to stay in the same place once she got that look in her eye- no matter the face she wore, that look stayed the same.

"_Amelia Jessica Pond_ I swear if I have to wait centuries you will pay for this!" She shouted as the crowed exploded in laughter.

"What's wrong with a harmless little joke between a mother and her daughter, really?" asked a panting and red- faced Amy, still trying to dodge her lightning- quick child.

Caught up in the moment, the Doctor made the mistake of snorting, drawing his bespoke psychopath's attention to him.

"And you! You played along with her! Oh, Sweetie. I hope the hat was worth it." She said as she pulled a lipstick out of her shirt, slowly approaching him with a very terrifying predatory glare in her eyes.

"But- but River, she planned this! I just- you- and always with the spoilers! And the slap! Don't you want to get her back first?!" The Doctor was desperate and flailing as she came closer and closer to him.

"No, I've changed my mind, my love. You were very bad to go along with Mummy's schemes. You deserve whatever's coming to you. She, however, will have to wait and _know_ that I have all the time in the universe for payback. And I have _every. intention. of. seeking. revenge._" Each of these last words was punctuated with a kiss on her now- delirious husband's face.

"River!" he said, his eyes out of focus. "Hello! Love the hair." He made an uncoordinated attempt to grab one of her curls. She placed a cactus in front of him, (who knows where she got that?!) got up, and walked purposefully to the door, ignoring every other guest, before thanking her father once again with a pat on the shoulder.

"Just you wait Mummy dear." Amy was even more scared now that her daughter's voice held an evil promise of revenge as she glanced back to assure her. "Remember, I have the patience of the Last Centurion flowing through my veins."

She left with a flash, the Doctor still babbling incessantly to a cactus who was a River who was no longer there, and Amy made her way over to Rory.

"You know, you may have had a point about making her mad."


	8. This Man is Your Father

**A/N- I think as a male and as a father, Rory does need to deal with it too. Please Review.**

It had been two years for him. Two years of grieving, and not grieving. Of waiting and knowing she'd never be coming home. Of seeing children playing outside and fighting the urge to look for his own child. He had his River. That was plenty. But he still hadn't fully dealt with not having his Melody. Not really.

Sure, he loved when she visited, and laughed and listened and accepted that this is who she was. And he was always just so PROUD of her. His little River Song. Only she wasn't little. She would never be little again. And he knew- though he usually only admitted it aloud in his dreams- that it was so much his fault. He had had Kovarian in his grasp! He had been there and could have stopped her, followed her, destroyed her, ripped the base apart piece by piece until he found his baby girl. His real baby. He truly was a StupidFace. Amy would have been a hard call- he could admit that. But after seeing how convincing the flesh was, several times, after being tricked by a wife who wasn't really there- why hadn't he at least suspected?! And River had even warned him!

He startled awake again, the morning of his second Father's Day, the nightmare of the time he had so failed as a father refreshed in his memory. He was restless. He went downstairs, careful not to wake his wife. After putting on the kettle, he washed his face, then turned away from the mirror, disgusted by the man too weak to protect his only child. He grabbed one of the pictures of her from its special place and couldn't stop the breakdown, falling on the floor and unsuccessfully trying to hold back the tears.

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry. So sorry." He kept crying, clutching the image of the girl he'd never held as he should have, attempting to offer a lost orphan a hope long dead. Praying that she had had _someone_ who loved her as she deserved when she most needed it. The caretaker had seemed nice, if not confused. But his baby didn't deserve that. She deserved more than nice. She deserved his arms around her, telling her how much he loved her. How beautiful she was. How amazing she would become. How everything would be alright because Daddy really would be there. But, she had never had that. He had let down one of the only two people in his life it was his duty, obligation, and privilege to protect. Or- it should have been.

He didn't always feel this way. These feelings mostly stayed behind the doors in his mind where he kept everything else that hurt- that was too much to deal with on a daily basis. But, they did pop up at the most innocent times. Treating a child in the emergency room. Watching an action movie, where the hero swoops in and saves the day. River's birthday. Father's day. Christmas. Saturdays. And, when they came, they overwhelmed him and he was always sure he would suffocate from the pain and is always certain he wants to because that's what he deserves. So, he hugs his photo tighter and continues asking forgiveness from the one child whose wounds he couldn't heal.

"Why are you sorry?"

He should have guessed she'd get her early. He looks up, knowing it's useless to try to hide his tear- streaked face. He'd been caught.

"River…" He couldn't even continue the thought.

"Rory, what's wrong?!" That name cut him even more- reminding him of the relationship they now had. The only one they would ever have.

She puts down the two cups of tea she was holding and looks at him. Then she reaches down and pulls him up, taking the picture he's still clutching as she guides him to the couch.

"What are you sorry about?" She repeats. She actually sounds genuinely confused. How does she not know? How does she not constantly blame him?! How can she stand the sight of him? He doesn't deserve her.

"It's all my fault!" he finally bursts, no longer able to stand her looks of worry and understanding. "I didn't save you. I didn't save you… I wasn't there for you."

"Dad-"no, that title hurt worse. He wasn't worthy of it. "Not even the Doctor could have-"

"I'M your father. I'M the one who should've protected you. I'M the one who-"

"You're the one who still came. Who fought for me, and not just to repay an old debt. Who gave me some of my first tastes of safety and love. No one could change what happened a very, very long time ago. AND IT WAS NOT YOUR, NOR MUM'S, NOR MY, NOR THE DOCTOR'S FAULT. What happened happened. But I've never blamed any of you and you shouldn't either." Her firm gaze did little to console him.

"I never even got to really hold you." He was hiccupping now, defeated and all cried out, wallowing in guilt.

River looked at the broken man before her, who she had never seen as anything but strong and amazing. She couldn't let him see himself as weak, or horrible, or worse- blame himself- for anything. She wished he could see himself as she saw him. Then, she realized, he could.

"Dad, I need you to close your eyes." He looked up at her questioningly.

"Trust me." She closed her eyes as well and leaned into him, until she touched him forehead to forehead. She felt his flinch at the contact, but held his face in her hands.

"Remember, I'm not fully human. My memories span clearer and longer than yours. I need you to know the first time I remember feeling safe."

"River, I-"

"Shh…"

* * *

_He was in the dark. He didn't like the dark. He heard crying, and realized it was his own. Not his own. Melody's. He felt what she felt. Scared. She was being moved so abruptly. She wanted the woman who smelled nice back. She wanted kisses and arms and safe and light. But, she was alone and scared and heard the Woman and she didn't like the sound. But then she heard a voice. A single word. _

"_No." She didn't know that voice. Except that she did. Call it a memory from the womb. It was always with her when she was in the Big Milk Thing. She liked that voice. It soothed her. It comforted her. She wanted it, too._

_Then, there was light, and a man in a dress stood before her. He had such a kind face. She liked him._

"_Hello, little one. I'm your Daddy." He had arms too. Arms that held her and caressed her and she didn't even mind that he didn't feed her. She watched him intently as he unwrapped her slowly, lovingly, counting fingers and toes, tickling her belly button and holding her head close and he came with kisses too. She leaned into him and felt unbelievably…loved. She liked Dress Man almost as much as she liked the Smell- Nice woman. She said hello and asked what he was wearing. He didn't put her back in the dark. She felt safe in his arms. She fell asleep, knowing he would keep holding her close. _

_When he found the Big Milk Thing again, she felt complete, held between both of them. But, he had taken his eyes off her, so she reached for him and tried to pat his chest to get his attention again. He was crying, but she liked his crying. She wanted to introduce herself, so she waved at him. But now he was talking to the idiot in the bow tie and the chin. Ooh. She liked the idiot. She told her Dress Man so, now that his attention was back on her. She also told him the tie was ridiculous. The Chin Man told her it was cool. _

_They had finally listened to her and put her down to sleep, but he always kept near her- never out of her sight, so she wanted to keep talking to him. She told him all about her new crib, how it was pretty, and how she liked Mummy's hair._

_Then she felt the fear in the air. She cried because Mummy was scared. But then Daddy was putting them down safe and kissed her head and she was alright. She told Mummy she would be ok because Daddy would make it not dark again. Then she heard the noises, the noises that could hurt him and she started crying once more._

_It had been years. Years of fear and helplessness. But she had finally escaped. She was petrified, hiding behind a wall from the monsters who were always there. Then she heard his voice again, just for a second, and that spurred her into action. She ran to the freedom he inspired in her. _

_Death had hurt. But now she was alive again. She was a toddler. She was scared. She was alone, again. "You're going to be alright," she heard from the man who pulled her out of the alleyway. He held her close to him, and once again, she was safe. She didn't really remember his face. But, she remembered her feelings. He was hers. She was his. Come for her once more._

_She was alone on the playground, looking for her mother. She was almost certain she was here. She was tired- so tired of running. But, she had to keep going, keep trying, until she found that peace she barely remembered. She knew it waited for her somewhere. Maybe it was here, on this playground. All she could do was reign in the fear and keep up the hope. She hadn't eaten much in awhile. Or rested fully, always on high alert. Then a little boy approached her slowly, non-threateningly. He held out half a sandwich to her. She took it greedily. He sat next to her and ate the other half. She didn't run, or even try to move. For the first time in years, she felt safe again. She tried very hard and very unsuccessfully not to feel at peace around him._

* * *

Tears filled Rory's face when he finally opened his eyes, the same eyes that looked back at him from his daughter's face.

"That was… incredible."

"Yeah. You always have been. And Dad- that's not where the memories end."

"Did- that alleyway. Wasn't that a spoiler?"

"Would you still do it if I'd never shown you?"

"I've never stopped looking for you."

"Then no. It's not a spoiler. I haven't told you where, or when. You'll find me. You always do."

He looked up at her, for the first time really seeing the child he'd so briefly held but immediately fell head over heels in love with.

"I-"

"Don't you dare say you're sorry again, Dad. You have always been there for me whenever I've needed it. I've never doubted it, not from the beginning. I guess you could thank Mum for that. But- don't you ever concentrate on what you couldn't do again. I showed you that so you would KNOW. You need to know. Thank you for being you. And for always making me safe again."

Rory was speechless. He had blamed himself for so long, but seeing himself through River's eyes, he couldn't help but feel… good. And loved, even if her love was so different from a normal child's offering. His Melody was not a normal child.

"Do you think- Would you mind it terribly if… we... hugged."

River didn't answer. She just leaned into him, accepting his embrace. He held her tightly to his chest, cradling her head the way he had cradled her tiny body, tears pouring down his face as he got to be "cool" once again. She had that effect on him. She let him hold her, then wished him a happy Father's Day.

"Thank you for being my father, Rory."

"No, Doctor Song. Thank _you_ for letting me be one."


	9. Your Choice

**A/N- Not really sure where this came from, just felt it had to be written. Spoiler for Name of the Doctor. Please Review and let me know if it makes sense, or if I should adjust it.**

Rory Williams had loved Amelia Pond from the first day he met her. Despite all of their differences, despite the rumors about her, her reputation, the way she treated him, his young heart was always hers. He loved her temper, her resourcefulness, her flirty manner and her sarcasm. He loved her smile and her hair and her skirts and her attitude. So, when he lost her, on the day he killed her, and he was faced with the choice of being away from her for a moment or protecting her for a small eternity, it was an easy choice to make.

But then there was the other choice. Then there was Apalapucia. Then there was a plague and time streams and kindness. And his beloved Amy was left waiting- for him. That was one thing that should never be. And he had to choose. The Amy he knew and grew up with and loved and couldn't lose or the Amy who had become a stranger, who had grown away from him, whom he loved and couldn't lose. And it was an impossible choice.

* * *

Amy Pond had loved two men her entire life. One was real. One was imaginary. And though she knew she wanted a life with Rory Williams, wanted a family and a forever with him, she wasn't sure she wanted one quite yet. She had waited so long for a dream, and had never truly given up on it. And just when she thought she could move past it, her imaginary man came back, just for a moment, and rocked her life once more. So when her Raggedy Man returned once more, and offered her the chance to be with him and delay her ordinary life for awhile yet not delay at all, it was an easy choice to make.

But, then she realized how much she needed her Rory. How growing up meant moving past childish dreams. How real life meant much more than always waiting. And when offered the choice between staying with her Raggedy Man, who whisked her away and always helped her escape, or following her Centurion, who grounded her and always helped her face her problems- it was an easy choice to make.

* * *

Melody Pond had never had a choice before. Sure, she was wild, and crazy and independent, but her fate was sealed moments after she was born. She was a weapon- a trained assassin. A psychopath. She did her duty and killed the Doctor and ended the "war." Yet, he had given her a choice. Her first. Be Melody Pond- the woman who killed the Doctor, or River Song, for whom he had called constantly since the moment she changed. Be the woman who would fight him to the death because they made her or be the only woman who got to call him Sweetie. And when she saw him lying there- caring and loving and fighting for the River he knew until the end, and she saw who she could choose to be, it was an easy choice to make.

But then there was the Library. There was the him who didn't know her yet still fought for her. Then there were the monsters she couldn't see and the final silence that took her. There was her unchanging, unreturned love and her memories. And a him who still saved her. And then a him who couldn't bring himself to come back. There was Trenzalore. A him who did love her. A him who couldn't let her go. A him who would drive himself mad if she let him. So, when she had the choice of teaching him to say goodbye and breaking his hearts or saving him once more from the pain of finality, it was an easy choice to make.

* * *

The Doctor knew tough choices. They would haunt him if they let him. They did haunt him when he wouldn't let them. So many deaths and lives and losses and loves. But then he met River. A woman who seemed to know him. Not just what he let occasionally slip to companions, but all of him. Who loved him. Who died for him. Who saved him in more ways than one. So when he met her again and once more had to decide if he wanted that devotion, he couldn't do it. He didn't want it. But he did so much. He tried to leave. But then he couldn't leave. He needed to go. He couldn't go. It was an impossible choice.

But, then there was the astronaut suit. Then he forgave her. Then he released her from any responsibility. Then he accepted his fate and prepared to disappear. Then she saved him once again and destroyed time. She refused to let him go. He couldn't out- beg her, couldn't reason with her, couldn't persuade her. And when he looked into those eyes, so full of hope and love and the same devotion of so long ago, he didn't want to. He could tell her, just pull her close and let her in on the trick. He didn't have to let it get too far. He didn't need to let her become the name- knower of the Library. Didn't need to let her close to him. All he had to do was communicate a secret. But he saw her. The way she once saw him. Completely. And he knew her. Knew all of her. And he loved her too. But the universe was wrong and he still had to choose. He could choose whether to let her be _either_ the one to murder him _or_ the one to marry him. He was never really one for choices anyway.


	10. Yes, That is a Warning

"MOTHER!" yelled an outraged River, barging in to the party where Amy's parents and close friends were gathered to celebrate her new job. A sheepish looking Doctor was vainly trying to stop his wife from causing any more of a scene. Rory stood up to stop his daughter but moved aside when he saw her expression, rushing out of the room.

"River…?" Amy looked at her daughter in confusion. "Kind of in the middle of something here-"

"Did you kiss the Doctor?!"

Amy blinked. "Wha- What?" Then, remembering the crowd all around them, she stood. "River, I really think we should take this to another room?"

"Yes or no, Amy. Did you or did you not, on the night before your wedding to _my father_, throw yourself at the Doctor?"

"I- well, it wasn't-," it was a rare day indeed when Amelia Pond was speechless. The Doctor had his hands buried in his face, blushing furiously behind his fiery wife. "It wasn't like that!"

"So, you, Amelia Pond, MOTHER, woman who carried me within her and held me the day I was born, you never tried to seduce my HUSBAND?"

Amy's face was almost as red as her hair, the room around them silent. She did the only thing she could do. She steadily walked up and slapped the Doctor.

"Did that just come up in casual conversation or what?!"

"Oh, Pond," he said, looking her in the face for the first time that night with an expression of… what? "Why do you assume it was me?"

Now Amy was confused. "Then how-" As she turned around to face her child, she was confronted with a camera flash and a wide smiling River and Rory.

"What _is _wrong with a little harmless joke between a mother and her daughter, indeed?!" River squealed.

Realizing the whole scene had been nothing more than a prank, she grew really, properly, Amily angry. "MELODY POND you'd better run!" River laughed and grabbed her father's hand.

"RORY!"

He called back as he ran with his daughter away from his wife's wrath "Night before our wedding, Mrs. Williams!"

The Doctor turned to the still shell- shocked room. "So," He rubbed his hands excitedly, placing his sombrero on his head. "Is there going to be a piñata?"

**A/N Please Review. It motivates me.**


	11. Did You Dance?

She was popular with the guys- well, when they wanted something anyway. She was Mels: wild, car- stealing, party hopping, what trouble could she entertain us with, how- far- will- she- dare- go Mels. No boy ever bothered to try to initiate a proper relationship with her. She was known more as a "call for a good time" rather than a "candy and roses" sort of girl. And she didn't mind. Not really.

There were lots of things she didn't mind. She didn't mind that she had only ever been on a "real date" once- when she was fourteen and he was from out of town and was honestly trying to get closer to Amy than to get to know Mels. She didn't mind that even the "hanging out" Amy and Rory did (her mother was still too thick to realize how enamored her friend was of her) made her ache a little for the type of relationship they shared. She didn't mind that most boys didn't think her worthy of much conversation. Or that they never thought to buy her dinner or to ask her what she wanted to do- not that that stopped her from doing it. She didn't mind that no one had ever come for her instead of expecting her to meet them. Or that when trouble inevitably came, she was alone when she faced it.

She didn't mind that no one had ever put on nice clothes just to impress her. And she didn't mind that she was always expected to look presentable because who really wanted her when she was in sweats or tears? And really she didn't mind that no boy ever told her a joke just to hear her laugh.

She didn't mind that the looks she got were not of adoration but of a purely physical nature. Nor that she had never received cheesy promises of the moon and the stars from someone trying to really impress her. Or even ever received a flower- just because she was special enough to warrant one. She didn't mind at all. Or so she told herself every time she thought about what she was missing.

So she didn't care, when the time came for the annual formal dance, that she wasn't asked to go- again. She thought it silly that she was constantly surrounded by excited girls giggling over their dresses, the boys complaining about the cost and new tie they'd have to get to match their dates' odd color scheme. Silly indeed. She would just roll her eyes and make sarcastic comments and do her best to drown out the madness. She wouldn't even be able to take shelter at her mother's house this time- the new psychiatrist had suggested a retreat and a dateless Amy (really, Rory, when were you planning on working up the courage to ask her out already?!) had decided she had nothing better to do than go. So Mels was stuck dreading the pathetic lies that were bound to come out when everyone else talked about what a good time they had. Oh, well. Dances were lame, anyway.

She had resigned herself to wreaking havoc on a local shop and perhaps sneaking into movie, when she was approached by Rory after school. He had been devastated by the news he'd missed his shot with Amy, again, and she was tempted to invite him out to a night on the town when he truly and utterly shocked her to her core.

"Hey, Mels. I've been looking for you."

"Yeah. Well, Amy's at home."

"I know that. I mean, I was looking for _you._"

She looked at him, assuming she would have to help this lovesick puppy with his chosen owner problems once more.

"Well?" Nice, Mels, remember, we've switched to nice.

"Well what?"

"You found me. Did you need something?"

"Oh! Yeah! Er… I was just wondering… that is… if you didn't have anyone already… oh! Mels, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the dance with me."

"WHAT?!" She was truly taken aback. Was this some type of game of his? Or worse- a pity thing?

Rory, of course, turned sheepish.

"Well, it's just, I thought- since neither of us have dates, it might be nice if we went together. You know… Night on the town. Red paint and all."

"Are you serious? Is this just because Amy can't go? I'm just your safety or something?"

"No! Well, okay, so Amy can't go- but Mels, you're nobody's backup."

"So you are serious then? You want to go to this idiotic dance with me?"

Rory was stammering. He realized this hadn't gone at all like he had planned. He really did want to go, and sure, Amy would have always been _his_ number one choice, but he hadn't meant for Mels to ever feel like second best. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, determined to do this properly. He hadn't meant to offend her. His friend deserved a sincere request.

"Melody Zucker- would you please go to the dance with me?" He looked her straight in the eye, and even though she looked for the telltale sign of a prank she'd almost been expecting, she saw only a genuine request made by her would- be father. Father. Dance. She liked that. She surprised even herself with her response.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah. Meet at the school?"

"Oh. I was actually wondering if it'd be ok if I came and got you a little earlier. You know. We could grab a bite to eat or something first. That is- if you want to."

"Sure. Sure. I'll be ready."

"Good!" He wasn't positive why he felt so relieved. Mels _had_ been a true friend to him for years. No more ruthless teasing. He was sure she was on the level. Anyway, he just wanted to go out and have a good time, and she was the only non- Amy he had even the remotest possibility of enjoying himself with.

Amy teased her mercilessly for weeks. Despite what Amy really thought about Rory, she did put aside those feelings to suggest he now had an interest in _her_. And, despite Mels' insistence that _that_ was really, _REALLY NOT EVER going to happen_, and they would ever ONLY be friends, Amy was convinced all the same. She mistook Mels' shudders at the thought for low self- esteem, and assured her any man would be absolutely lucky to have her. Well, Mels knew that, but only she knew that _Rory_ was not any man. Not to her. Eww. Just eww.

Still, Amelia's best friend duties beckoned. Amy dragged her into a shop then forced her into a gorgeous dress with matching shoes to die for. Okay. So maybe she was grateful for and excited by her mother's enthusiasm. And maybe she was truly amazed when she looked at herself in the dress and felt more beautiful than she had in ages. But, she put up a good protest all the same.

The night of the dance, she had to admit she was still a little nervous it was all some elaborate prank. No, she told herself. This is Rory. He's funny. Not cruel. But she couldn't help a small pace around Amelia's house (she was always insistent Amy and Rory never know where she lived), trying to pretend she hadn't gotten ready hours earlier in her excitement. She had to stop herself from running when she heard a knock at the door, and she opened it with all the confidence of a girl much too cool for a silly school dance.

Rory stood there in a nice suit, a small bouquet of roses in his hand. He smiled gently and told her sincerely that she looked quite pretty in her dress. Then he held out his arm and led her to the car he had borrowed for the evening, where he opened her door.

They laughed all throughout dinner, and he confided in her his (blatantly obvious) feelings for Amy. She told him she wholeheartedly approved of them together, and encouraged him to just tell her already! He was about to explain how he would never be good enough, when he realized that perhaps he should not be talking about another girl the entire night he was out with his friend. So, he changed the subject, and they started talking about old times and future plans. He asked her opinions on several different matters, and genuinely listened to each response. He asked her about her family; she told convincing half- truths and was quick to turn the conversation back to him.

When they got to the dance, they spent half the night making jokes about the couples around them, snickering together conspiratorially. When he asked her to dance, she tried to make excuses, until his persistence led her to finally admit she didn't know how. He looked at her for a moment, then pulled her up anyway. He made sure they were off to the side, not wishing to embarrass her, as he slowly moved her back and forth- counting to the beat. When she finally found her rhythm, he whirled her out onto the main floor, where they spent the remainder of the night swaying to different songs, laughing and joking and, she was pleased to say, _really bonding_. When a photographer came by later, they both made the most ridiculous faces they could, giggling at their childishness.

Then, finally, the night ended. Rory took her to Amy's, where she was spending the night, and walked her to the door. He still had laughter in his eyes as he thanked her for the fun night, then he leaned forward and placed a friendly kiss on her forehead. She smiled as she thanked him for teaching her to dance, and didn't even crack a joke when she bade him goodbye.

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Years later, she fell in love with a man who treated her as her father had that one night, so long ago. He always came for her when she called. He always tried to look his best for her and never cared in what state he found her. He would pick her up wherever she was and would laugh with her at even the most inappropriate moments (like at gunpoint or surrounded by monsters). He actually did promise her the moon and the stars, but his offer was most definitely not cheesy. And, when she was in trouble, he was usually right there next to her, both causing it and fixing it. But most of all, he listened to her, never treated her as a second best, and whenever the opportunity presented itself, he danced with her.

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Their silly picture together became one of Mels' most treasured possessions. It was a reminder of her first proper date- a date with someone who wanted to be around her and with her. Who taught her she was so much more than a body and was in fact a person who was to be cherished and respected and complimented and loved. She rejected every other offer for "dates" after that dance, holding out instead for someone who acted like _she herself _mattered. And, though there were complaints and rumors (albeit short lived- never anger a trained psychopath) and pleas and propositions, Mels stuck to her guns. Her daddy had set a very high standard for the man who entered her life. But he was worth it. And so was she.

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**A/N- Please review.**


	12. Have You Ever Had Children?

**Warning- Angsty. Not meant to offend at all. Please let me know what you think.**

They had been thinking about how unfair it was, that they never got to really be with their baby girl. They didn't always blame the Doctor- it wasn't his fault. So they said. Most of the time. He had tried to save her. Had, in a way. But it was those lonely nights on the TARDIS, when they were awake with thoughts of an infant not there to keep them up, or when they were in their big house with too many quiet rooms, that they really, really ached for the child they had lost.

Both Amy and Rory battled with sleeplessness after Demons Run. Amy's body ached for a baby that would never again belong to it. Rory's arms reached for a little girl now too big to hold close in his arms. And it was on those occasions, where the emotions of what had happened had grown too huge, and the pain and the anger welled up and the blame and the sorrow and the seemingly irrational agony for their loss overwhelmed them that they both wanted to hate the man who could never realize how much he had cost them. Or so they thought.

It was one such night, in the TARDIS, when sleep came for neither of them, that rage rose up in Amy, too potent to stay buried. Too wound up to stay in their room, Amy stomped down the hallway into the control room, followed patiently by her grief- burdened husband. The Doctor wasn't there. This became too much for the bereft parents, and Amy could stand it no longer. She grabbed the closest thing she could find and threw it. Then began a steady fit of hitting and kicking and throwing and smashing anything she could find on the ship of the man who betrayed her. Gone were the thoughts of the battle he waged, the hurt he felt for her, the lengths he was willing to go to get them both back. She wanted her baby back- plainly, simply, achingly, agonizingly. But she would never hold her again.

Rory tried vainly to calm her down, bursting with his own emotions. After some yelling on his wife's part, his long- constructed walls finally broke down and he too began destroying everything in sight, cursing the day he met the man who had no idea the pain he felt.

The TARDIS was overwhelmed with their sorrow- so palpable and heavy that it seemed to weigh her down. She gently guided her two overburdened strays through the corridors, determined to defend her thief. Or alleviate some of their heartache. Or calm them down. Or just make them understand.

She opened a door that nearly always remained shut and hidden, ever so slightly, revealing Amy and Rory's now- grown daughter sitting calmly on the bed. Across the room, the Doctor was throwing a tantrum, tearing and flinging everything he could find as though he wanted the room itself to hurt. Amy and Rory were careful to remain behind the door as they watched him stop for just a moment to catch his breath, when they heard River beckon him over to her.

"It's all right, my love."

"HUMANS! With their weapons and hatred and war! WHY must they always… Don't they KNOW what they lose every time?!"

"It's not only humans Doctor. And this is not just about what happened tonight."

"There was a child, River! They just stood there and let her run out! They didn't even stop fighting long enough to try to bury her!"

"I know, my love. I know. But there was nothing you could've done. There is not always something you can do. Come here."

Finally calmed down enough for him to see straight, the Doctor climbed up next to River, fists still balled, and put his head in her lap, letting her stroke his hair, trying to ease away the pain even now horribly evident in every line of his body.

"You knew it was a bad idea to go out tonight. Knew what this day meant to you. What it will always mean to you. Why do you insist on putting yourself through that?"

"It's been years, River. I should be better about it now. Someday it won't matter. One day I'll get it right. Everyone will live. I'll go somewhere where people will listen and put down their weapons and-"

"And you'll be able to look at every child without thinking of her? You know it doesn't work that way, Doctor. It won't ever get better- not completely. But that isn't necessarily a bad thing. I can't…imagine what it must feel like to lose your child. Your _only_ child, especially after everything else you've been through. And I can't pretend to understand what you must go through every time you relive it. But I don't think you've somehow failed by not being able to let it go. No parent should ever have to say goodbye to their baby. I think that is one pain that won't ever completely go away. But I do think someday, the pain won't hurt as much. Maybe someday, you'll be able to think of her, and you won't immediately ache. Perhaps, in time, you will even be able to think of your short time together and be glad you had it."

"We only had one day, River! Just a few… moments. And I spent half that time blaming her! For being a soldier. For thinking she had to fight to protect me. For existing. For reminding me of home. Of everything I lost. Of my other children. My wife. Brothers. Sisters. Parents. She was everything it took me centuries to pretend I didn't want back. For one day, I got to imagine the life we would have together, running through the universe. The last of the Time Lords no more. Me and her- always. Anywhere she wanted. And I killed her too."

"No, my love. She made a choice. She loved you. Do not undermine that love by thinking it wasn't worth it just because of how short a time it lasted. Her sacrifice brought about so much good. Reminded you what is really meaningful in this life. Made you a slightly better person. That was not a waste. Do not mourn the could- haves, my Doctor. It will drive you insane."

"Jenny. My Jenny." He was crying quietly now into his wife's shoulder; she was rocking back and forth as though to comfort a child.

"Sleep, Sweetie. Sleep and remember all the good, and let me ward off the bad." She kissed his head, holding him closely, still brushing back his hair with her fingers. The TARDIS felt the change in mood from the Pretty One and his mate and closed the door- giving her Time Lord room to grieve.

Amy and Rory were too overloaded to feel ashamed for their eavesdropping. They went back to their room, still saddened by their loss, but now burdened with sorrow for their friend as well. They had lost their child, yes. And that pain would never truly go away. But they still had her, in a way. The Doctor, though, the man who they had both secretly blamed for their baby- who Amy had begun to doubt and Rory had begun to hate because of Demons Run, he knew how much they hurt.

But, unlike them, he would never be able to hold his child again. His children. He had lost so much. Had hurt, again and again and again. Knowing that, and knowing that he was somehow still able to go on, day after day, let them help move through their own pain. It didn't lessen their grief. It wasn't meant to.

But they understood now why he never answered them when they asked if he had any children. He _couldn't_ answer. A parent is a parent always, even when their kids are gone. But it would be impossible to put those missing parts of themselves into words. Because that's what a child is- an extension of your own soul, your own being. How could you explain that it no longer belongs to you, yet will never, ever part from you?

The next morning, having barely slept at all, they woke early and saw River, stopping her before she left. They grabbed her tightly and hugged her long and hard. They kissed her and held her and, though she was bewildered, she let their arms enfold her and didn't try to pull away. They never mentioned baby Melody to the Doctor again.

When the Doctor came into the control room, cheery façade belying the remorse of last night, Amy and Rory both approached him, their looks making his forged smile fade.

He glanced from one to the other. They searched his eyes, finally seeing just how old he truly was. Amy went up to him, caressing his face gently.

"I- I'm so sorry."

"For what, Pond?" He asked, curiously searching the grief- exhausted faces of his companions.

Instead of answering, they both engulfed him in a hug. That hug contained healing. The joint healing of parents who have experienced a grief too deep to be expressed, who have learned to breathe one moment more when everything in them screams not to. The healing of people who mourn for their friend and his loss. And the healing of a shared experience too powerful to put into words, physical affection the only language strong enough. They all held each other up, sharing both their grief and their comfort. One parent to another.


	13. Please, Help Me

**A/N- All quotes belong to Steven Moffat. Please review.**

She didn't understand. She wasn't sure she wanted to understand. She wasn't pregnant. It'd been months since she thought she was. But when she had children, she was going to raise them and love them and protect them and keep them safe. This girl- the one in the orphanage- well, by definition an orphan has no parents. That would never happen to her child. If she ever had one.

How could she be in the picture? If she were in the picture that would mean the baby in the picture was hers. And if the baby in that picture was hers, that meant the girl in all the other pictures, the one who was alone and who apparently lived in this shabby horrible room, she was- Amy couldn't even finish the horrible thought.

Then the astronaut walked in. Did it want to kill all of them? Why? Did she think Amy'd lead her to the Doctor? She wouldn't. Couldn't. She refused to watch him die twice. Time could be rewritten.

The shield came up. Her own eyes stared back at her. Terrified eyes. Eyes that just watched.

What could she say to this scared child? This little girl who was still shivering and alone and had no friend in the world. Who gazed at her- as though she belonged to the woman in the picture. The woman who couldn't be Amy. Who was most definitely Amy. Who wouldn't ever be Amy. Everything was processing so incredibly fast and so incredibly slowly in Amy's brain.

"I'm sorry." For so much. For what has happened and what will happen and all of what she hoped to prevent from happening. Such a trivial phrase.

"I didn't mean to shoot you." Great. Now she was rambling.

"I'm glad I missed." She had to get the child to trust her. She hadn't known she was capable of hurting another person. A child. A scared, defenseless little girl. She was sorry. She hoped her voice conveyed how much.

_She had come for her. She always knew she would. She had stared at that picture every day. When she was lonely. When she was happy. When she couldn't remember what had happened. When she was scared. She didn't want them to take it from her, so she tried to hide it behind the others. But now she was really here. She barely dared to accept it._

"But you killed the Doctor. Or you're- you're gonna kill him." Those connections weren't being made fast enough. A child, not yet born yet standing right in front of her. An assassin from so long ago in the future. An orphan who had a mother who wanted her. It didn't make sense.

"But who are you? Just please, tell me, because I don't understand!"

_She wanted to run to her. To say the one word she had been denied saying her whole life. To grab her hand and run from this horrible place, and go where they would be together for the rest of their lives. But why was she so confused? Melody had grown up dreaming of the woman standing in front of her. She believed she would be so happy and relieved when she found her again, despite what they had told her. But now she was looking at her and she was scared too. In her head, she screamed the word. The precious word. The secret word. _

_But even though she was scared, she was here. So what came out was the most important phrase in the universe at the moment, because after trying so long to reach someone, anyone, _**she**_ was the one who had come for her._

"_Please help me. Help me. Please."_

_They would leave here now. They had to. She had to escape them. Please._

She saw such fear in the girl's eyes. Unsurprising, if this was her life. But beneath that fear, as she stared at Amy, begging for help, was something else. It was hope.

Then the Silence came up behind the little girl. Amy was terrified. She looked only at them, and all sense of courage left her. She screamed. But as she did so, she took one last glance at the petrified little girl. The girl who couldn't move when she knew she was surrounded. Who would kill the Doctor if she couldn't get away. Who had pled, again and again and again, for help. Amy's help. And an instinct she wasn't ready to have yet took over.

It happened so fast, she didn't even remember deciding to do it. She grabbed the child, backing her out the door so she stood between the girl and the Silence.

"Take me!" She said to them- a moment she would never again remember.

With a quick turn of her head to the would- be, could- be daughter behind her, Amy shouted "RUN!"

_Melody Pond waited years for her to come and rescue her. No matter what they said. No matter what they did. She held onto that hope. Because there was one word. The most important word in the universe. It offered freedom and chances and escape and a life so, so different from the one she was forced into. She had never said it aloud before. But as she did what that picture- perfect woman told her, when she finally got the courage and opportunity to rescue herself, she ran with one word on her lips. Mommy._

**_A/N- Melody is in America when she first meets Amy._**


	14. Now Prison Waits for River

After the suit had submerged her again, she was teleported to the 51st Century where she was tried fairly quickly and sentenced to 12,000 consecutive life sentences. When asked if she had anything to say for herself, she made a quick comment about the hypocrisy of an organization who'd ordered her to kill a man then put her in prison for doing so, under her breath of course. When she stood up, instead of offering anything in her defense, she proceeded to read a list of demands for her new cell.

-Her own chamber- she simply refused to share a cell: a girl needs her privacy, after all

-Phone calls whenever they arrived- else she would just have to use the guards to occupy her time

-A bookshelf- she _had_ just earned her Doctorate: just because she'd be confined did not mean she should be ignorant of the universe's goings on

-A hearty meal for breakfast and lunch and a good dessert at night- she didn't want to get peakish

-A full- length mirror- after all: look at her

-Flexibility on prison uniform- both for her and her guards

-Fresh flowers daily- just to liven up the place

-Clean sheets and blankets regularly and new pillows- prison was no place to forget hygiene

-Solitary showers daily, with good soaps and lotions- after all, moisturization is key

She continued with her demands for over ten minutes, before she added her last one.

-Finally- this one warning issued to any person planning to guard her block and keep her from doing what she wanted- She is River Song

Before she sat down, she finished with a small side note that they should expect regular memos to ensure prison life was up to her standards.

She was being roughly escorted to Stormcage Containment Facility after sentencing, when the guard at her rear foolishly decided it would be a good idea to toy with her.

"You think you're tough now- wait until you meet the new warden. Been here one week and already made three of our toughest prisoners weep. I doubt the Warden'll put up with any of your demands nonsense. You'd better learn respect and learn it quick, or you're liable to regret it."

"Oh, not a good idea to try to threaten me, dear- my mother was Scottish."

At this, the soldier to her right gave a small snort, then tried very hard to stare unfazed straight ahead as he tugged roughly on her arm.

"_Ooh," thought River. "This is going to be entertaining for awhile, at least. At any rate I'm sure my husband_ (the unfamiliar word sent a thrill through her)_ will be dropping in now and again to keep things fresh. He knows how bored I'm liable to get here."_

They guided her into the offices for processing, and she noted the change in each of their stances as they led her to the warden's office. Apparently, the prisoners weren't the only ones who feared him. But the Doctor lived. There was nothing left in the universe that River couldn't handle.

Each of the guards were deadly silent as they entered the room- the warden's chair turned away from them toward a fire on the other side of the room.

"We- ugh… we brought the new prisoner, Warden. Melody Pond… the woman who killed the Doctor."

"River Song" insisted River.

"Killed the Doctor? Doctor Who?" said the ominous figure still staring at the fireplace.

Before any of the guards had a chance to answer, they were ordered out of the room.

"I- I have to stay here, with the prisoner. Orders, you see."

"Very well. But just you." Said the warden to the guard on her right. River was trying very hard to look intimidated by this new turn of events. Ok, at least haughty. To be honest, she was just trying very hard not to laugh.

When the guards cleared the room, leaving her nearly alone in the presence of the "ominous new warden," she could hold back no longer.

"You know, this isn't like a first day of school. You don't have to come and check out the teachers and make sure the other kids play nice, Mum."

Amy smiled as she approached her.

"Well, this is as close as I'll ever get with you, isn't it?"

They both started giggling at that, when her guard turned to them-

"No, no. We are not having a welcome to prison party for our daughter. This isn't supposed to be funny."

"Then what is it supposed to be, StupidFace?"

"Typically, parents aren't supposed to be supportive of their children being criminals."

"Ooh, but Dad, since when are we typical?"

"You've got a point there." Rory finally conceded.

"So, how'd the hearing go? I heard you left the Justice Hall speechless."

"I just made a few _minor… suggestions_ about how I'd like to spend my time in prison. It could be centuries before I'm a free woman again."

"Well we- centuries?"

River smirked. "Human Plus."

"Right. So what outrageous things am I going to have to deny, oh Prisoner Song?"

"I was completely fair in all of my demands."

"You asked them to build you a sauna and bi- weekly massages!" cried Rory, who had stood, in character, next to her throughout her entire trial.

"River!"

"Well, I can't have my pores clogging! And you know how I carry stress in my left shoulder."

"Melody, you do realize this is a prison, not a day spa?"

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying can you?"

"No- though if it were me I'd have insisted the massages be weekly."

"Well, I didn't want to seem unreasonable."

Amy laughed with her daughter, then looked her seriously in the eyes.

"You really don't have to do this, you know. We're far enough along to know the truth. I'm sure we could figure something else out."

She looked at both of her parents, who stared at her with such love and understanding and knew without a doubt that even now if she shouted _out_ they'd both run to the end of the universe to help her escape. How long could they run from the people who'd hunted and found her her entire life? Besides, there were worse places to be- at least if she stayed now, it would be her choice.

"No, Mother. I do. This is the only way to keep the Doctor safe. As far as prisons go, I've seen a lot worse. Besides, this is what I've already done, isn't it? And I'm sure it won't be that bad. As you know, I've always found ways to keep myself entertained."

"Speaking of," declared her father, "We stopped by the university and packed up your room. We tried to pick the stuff you would need most." He handed her a bag, which she went through carefully.

"Blaster- good. Handcuffs- very good. Ooh, my lipstick! Been looking for that for awhile. I bet that'll come in handy here. Good books. My favorite boots. My TARDIS notebook! Thank you for that. Make up…" She looked up and smiled at her mother.

"You're welcome." Said Amy, smugly.

"And we put everything else in _your_ wardrobe in the TARDIS just in case."

"I have a wardrobe?"

Rory made a face- "Oops. Spoilers."

River laughed at that. "Well, not much of one to be perfectly honest. The old girl had a room for me from the first time the Doctor came to visit while I was in school. A wardrobe just means permanence."

"Speaking of wardrobes, you've got to see what the Doctor did to yours in your cell!" squeaked Amy. _Bigger on the inside_ she mouthed.

"He let your mother loose on a shopping mall."

"Well, this should be fun indeed then! Come along, Father dear. This time, don't pull so hard. I promise to be on my best behavior."

"That's not as reassuring as you think it is, Mels." River just smirked at her father as he put his hand on her arm, by her side as she began this new phase of her life.

"Not anymore, Dad. Melody Pond murdered the Doctor. River Song married him. I don't want to be Melody anymore to anyone other than you two." She said to Amy, who grabbed her other arm.

"Then River Song you shall be. Warden's orders. And I'll make sure you have access to everything within reason before we leave."

"_Doctor_ River Song." Amended Rory- he really did never let that go.

"Speaking of Warden- Mummy, what _did_ you do to make those three prisoners cry?"

"Prisoners? It was three guards."

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**A/N- Please review. I'm always most nervous when I try to write humor. But River did seem to have quite a few things in her cell the first night she sees the Doctor again. And Amy and Rory would want to be there for her after she got arrested. Disclaimer: If you recognized it, it did not belong to me.**


	15. Yes, He Likes that Name

**A/N- This idea has been rolling around in my head for awhile, so I decided to just run with it. I didn't want it to be completely heartbreaking, but I think by its nature there will be an element of sadness, but I did try to balance it as best I could. Also- **_**way longer**_** than any of the other chapters. They can't manage to do anything in the right order, can they? **

**The short- unaired clip Doctor Who PS would be extremely helpful to understand this chapter. Anything familiar belongs to the BBC. **

**WARNING: This chapter does deal with a TimeTot. If you don't like that sort of thing, feel free to skip it- it won't become a constant thing in this series, and I'll include a warning beforehand for the chapters I may link to this one.**

**Two Shot- Part 1**

**Please Review.**

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Rory and Amy had just woken up and done their morning routines, and realized the Doctor wasn't back from his nightly date with their daughter. Though tempted to go outside and explore the planet they were on, they had no desire to stumble into whatever inevitable trouble the other couple had gotten themselves into. And, they had to admit, it was kind of nice having real private time to just chat and laugh and get in a word edgewise without their loquacious best friend. Rory had just been telling his wife a funny story about one of his long- term patients, when the TARDIS door burst open and two people, very preoccupied and loud, burst in.

"I swear I hate you!" shouted their daughter, very forcefully, even as she grasped her husband tightly to her. "I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!"

"No, Dear, you really don't." said a frantic Doctor, holding his wife just as tightly as he backed up into the TARDIS.

"This is all your fault!" said River, suddenly gasping.

"I really don't see how this can be _all_ my fault! In fact, I'm pretty positive all evidence points to the contrary."

Suddenly, River let go of the tight grip she had on the Doctor's shoulders, breathing deeply as he took a small step back, hands still lightly on her waist.

"Of course it's-"

"Hey now, what're you two on about?" asked Amy, really not interested a prolonged shouting match.

The Doctor and River froze dead in their tracks, their mouths open as the turned and gaped at the Ponds. River recovered first.

"Oh, you idiot! I hate- aaaahhhh!" The Doctor lunged forward again, holding his now panting wife up and trying to run his fingers soothingly in her hair.

"We must've gotten turned around in the forest. Don't blame me! I was slightly preoccupied at the time!" argued the Doctor weakly at the glare his wife gave him.

"Don't touch me! We've got to get into the vortex _now_ before we cause a paradox. Just let my father come and handle iiiiiit!"

At hearing his title and her groans, Rory ran forward and pulled the Doctor back away from his daughter. "River, what's wron-…g? Oh. So, not the River we were expecting?"

His daughter smiled up at him through her very concentrated panting. "More like a River who _is_ expecting. Any time now." She said, trying to smile through her pain, clutching weakly at her very swollen stomach.

"Oh. My. Gosh." Said Amy, eyes as wide as saucers.

"RIGHT! Time Vortex- paradox." said the Doctor, tearing his eyes away from darting wildly between his Ponds who were very much not supposed to be in front of him and his wife who was very much in labor, as he ran up to the console and started sending them into the vortex.

"River, breathe!"

"Hadn't thought of that, Sweetie. You're so helpful. Daaadd!" She said, making Rory's left hand the victim of her next contraction since her husband's shirt was so far away.

"Ahh, River. I think you've forgotten you're stronger than a normal hum- you're right, hands heal." Exclaimed Rory, complaint cut off by a look on his own wife's face. "River- med bay, now." He said, bracing her as he helped her make her way down the hall.

Amy was torn between getting on River's other side and wanting answers. She settled for helping her to the med bay and hurrying back to the Doctor while Rory began setting up for delivery and hooking River up to the various monitors.

"Explain." She said simply, arms crossed as she stood next to the Doctor, who was trying to bookmark their exact date and time into the memory circuit so he could return them there later. "Why is River in labor? No- dumb question. Why didn't you ever mention she was pregnant? That's a pretty big thing to keep hidden from us, don't you think?"

The Doctor was silent a moment more, before he suddenly turned and grabbed Amy, hugging her tightly and slightly breaking down- intense emotions he was very unused to coursing through his body. Gratitude at being able to see them again made its way into the very essence of his being. But beyond that, there was also something else- fear. This wasn't a "a monster's chasing us, but I'm sure I'll think of something," fear, but rather, a different type he hadn't felt in centuries. This was a "the tiny person I helped make is about to enter the universe and I have no idea what to do about it," fear.

Amy hugged him back, sensing his anxiety and understanding it- to a degree. Then she finally pulled back and looked him in the eye. "Doctor?"

"Amelia." The Doctor cherished the name on his lips, "I'm not the Doctor who left the TARDIS last night. River and I must've gotten turned around at some point and instead of _my_ TARDIS, barged in on one from younger me. River and I- _this_ River and I, are much, much older than when you saw us last. But we don't exactly have enough time to go back and see where we went wrong now, do we?"

A scream brought them both running to the med bay, where River was sitting up and Rory was holding her hand.

"Do you want me to.."

"No! Rory, that'd be too weird. Just make sure he doesn't muck things up too badly!" said River, nodding toward the Doctor.

The Doctor stood facing his wife, anticipation coursing through his veins. With Amy on her left side and Rory on her right, she returned her husband's slowly- spreading smile as best as she could.

"Geronimo!"

An hour later, right after Rory and the Doctor had scanned every detail of the tiny body, counted fingers and toes and checked lungs and a head and a stomach, and the Doctor had the TARDIS run every possible test Rory could think of, Rory finally handed River her tiny, tiny son.

"Well." She smiled at him. "Hello Sweetie." She studied every inch of him the way she studied ruins, nuzzling him and kissing him everywhere she could. Then she gently handed him off to the anxiously waiting arms of his grandmother.

Amy smiled as she leaned over and cooed at her grandson. "Aren't you just the most precious boy in all the universe? You know, I don't think a more perfect baby boy has ever existed. No . Not in all time. It's you, kid." She lightly ran a finger down his face, tracing his fingers and toes and trying to memorize every detail of the moment. "Now, mind you- just because I'm young and gorgeous does not mean I can't be your Gran. In fact, there's no one I'd rather be at this particular moment." She placed a kiss on the top of his head, before turning and placing him in Rory's arms. "Though I guess it's only fair your granddad gets to say hi, too."

Rory had tears in his eyes as he looked at his grandchild, sniffling as he grabbed a little hand and shook it. "I'm Rory. I'm your granddad. Hello!" then he whispered. "Oh, River. He's amazing." He couldn't find words after that, so he hugged him close to his chest and rocked him back and forth. "You know, I think there's one more person to whom you haven't been properly introduced." He gently placed him in the Doctor's arms, kissing his head one last time as he released him. "Say hello to Daddy."

The Doctor bent down, kissing his son's face, then brought his chest up to his ear so he could hear what he thought was one of the sweetest sounds in the universe- two hearts pumping, sure and true.

"Hello." He whispered, almost afraid that if he spoke too loudly he'd find the child in his arms to be merely a dream. Then Amy and Rory lost the ability to understand him, as the Time Lord began to speak in his own language to one of his own kind for the first time in a long, long time.

When he finally looked away from his son, he brought him over to River, setting the baby between the two of them.

"He says it's nice to meet you. And he's wondered what you looked like from the outside for awhile. He likes the hair."

River smiled at her husband and son's ramblings, kissing her baby's face, then arm, then hand, then foot, as the Doctor continued to translate.

"And he said he'd like to be called- NO! He didn't!" The Doctor proclaimed, scandalized, as he reached into his pocket, first pulling out a small, speaker- like device, then his sonic screwdriver.

"Who didn't do what, Sweetie?"

"Must've put some sort of auditory perception filter on there- sending subliminal messages in utero."

"Doctor- what happened?" asked Amy, becoming a little alarmed at her best friend- who was sonicking, shaking, then listening to the device again and again, a shocked look on his face.

"A _friend_ of mine- and I use the term loosely, gave River a recording of the Blue Orchestra of the Titanium Moon of Altrax, one of the best Orpheousan symphonies ever composed- said it would stimulate the baby's mind if we played it for him."

"But we both listened to it, Doctor. What was wrong with it?"

"Well- listen to what was hidden under the recording."

"I really like the name Captain Jack Harkness. Captain Jack Harkness is the best name. My parents should name me Captain Jack Harness. I'm going to beg my father for a cool name like Captain Jack Harkness. Or just name me Jack Harkness and I'll earn the 'captain.' I really like the name Captain Jack Harkness…"

"He didn't!" said River, trying to be very angry while simultaneously trying not to laugh hysterically.

"Yes. And guess what the first Time Lord born in centuries wants to be called?"

River pretended to ponder this seriously. "Anthony?"

One look at the Doctor's face and all three Ponds, and a little Song, did start howling in laughter, Amy and Rory ended up on the floor in hysterics and River had tears in her eyes when they finally calmed down enough. Eventually, even the Doctor managed a chuckle.

"Well. Anthony is undoubtedly a much better name that Jack."

"_Captain_ Jack," Rory couldn't help clarify. "Don't want to put the poor boy under the pressure of climbing rank so soon after being born now do you?" This resulted in another bout of hysterics from Amy.

"Okay, okay. In all seriousness, Doctor- now that you've said it, I rather do like Anthony. What do you think?"

"I think it's a brilliant name."

"Anthony Song. Though it does sound like it's missing something doesn't it? Mum, Dad- why don't you choose his second name?"

"Shouldn't the Doctor-"

"I've already given him his Gallifreyan name- his real one that tells who he _is._ I think it fitting that humans give him his earth one."

Amy looked at her husband, her face lighting up with a smile. "I got to name our daughter. I think you should finish naming our grandson."

Rory looked to the faces around him. "Are you all sure?" Three faces nodded back to him.

"I- Well-" He looked down at the child in River's arms. "I need to think about it."

The Doctor and Amy huffed, while River smiled faintly. "It is an important decision. Go ahead and take your time. Besides, it might take us awhile to convince him he is not a captain and that Jack Harkeness is a terrible thing to be called."

They stayed in the vortex for two weeks, during which time Anthony Captain Song (They'd at least managed to convince him Jack Harkness didn't suit) insisted everyone except Mum salute before they pick him up- and seeing as he was rarely out of someone's arms, there were quite a few salutes all around. Amy and River chuckled whenever they found one of Rory's lists of names- checked then crossed, then respelled then crossed out again- throughout the TARDIS.

Finally, deciding they needed to return Amy and Rory to their proper time stream and their proper Doctor (as far as time streams in the time vortex went) and the Doctor to his proper TARDIS- not to mention get this one back to where she could wait for the past Doctor and River (who would need it when they ran from a tribe of flesh- eating snails), they decided to have one final conversation- passing the baby among them like a bowl of popcorn.

First, came Rory's announcement. "Ok. I've given this a lot of thought."

"Quite a lot."

"More than a lot."

"A lot was two notepads and 9 days ago."

"AHEM. As I was saying, I've given this a lot of thought- and I've settled on Anthony's second name. It should be Brian."

"Brian? After your dad?"

"Yeah. I mean- it's a good strong name- a family name. So he'll never forget where he's from when he's roaming the universe. Besides, my dad's a good man. Yeah. Brian."

"He always liked me- I'm for it." said River.

"Ha! A Brian a proper Pond!" exclaimed the Doctor, saluting before reaching for his son. "Ah! The Captain approves!"

"Anthony Brian Song. It's got a nice ring to it."

At this, River and the Doctor exchanged a glance. "Actually, Amy. That's not his name."

"What? But I thought you approved-"

"Yes, yes. The Brian part. And the Anthony part. It's the Song part we'd like to discuss with you."

River reached out and took her husband's hand.

"You see, the TARDIS is a wonderful place to live, to learn and to explore and to adventure. We- we're just not sure it's the best place to- to grow up."

"What?" whispered Amy, afraid they were going to send her precious grandson far away where she'd never see him again.

"Well, no matter where I go or when I go, I always know the earth is home. And even the Doctor had the stability a child needs when he grew up on Gallifrey. Even now- he still thinks of that as home. We want that for our son, too."

"So…so what are you saying?" questioned Rory- the same fear his wife had coursing through his veins.

"Well… when we come from… you two are more… settled. You- you don't travel with the Doctor anymore. Ever. Have a nice house. A nice yard. A place where… a small boy could possibly… grow roots. If he wanted to. Or, if his grandparents wanted him to."

Amy and Rory sat as still as Angels: relief, then confusion, then utter disbelief flowing through them.

"Wait. Are you- are you asking _us_ to raise Anthony? Like, like his parents?"

"Yes." Said the Doctor firmly. "Not now, of course- but you'll know when the time comes."

"What- what about you two?"

"The Doctor can't not travel, and I have so many different expeditions scheduled that would be dangerous to take a baby on. We had originally planned to just take him with us, but after meeting him, and realizing what our lives will always be, we just want him to have a home. Where else could be home but with the two people who would love him as much as we do?"

"Plus, we want him to have you. And… we want you to have him."

Amy looked into her Raggedy Man's eyes, still shocked at what he was suggesting. Then, she softened, placing her hand on his and River's.

"You know, you don't have to give up your child to make up for the loss of ours."

The Doctor swallowed. Amy was always more perceptive than he was comfortable with.

"Yes, I do. And it's not giving him up. I'll have albums and memories and stories and recordings that he'll give me when he's ready. Time Lord- remember? I want him to have a normal life as long as he can, because when he's ready, he'll be able to spend the rest of his life with us in the stars- for as long as he wants. He has just enough human in him to age like a normal human child, but I took my granddaughter travelling with me when she was just 80 years old."

"Your- your granddaughter?"

"… And I can take our son with us once he's old enough or regenerates into a more fully Time Lord body."

"Please, Dad. Mum. We've given this a lot of thought. You couldn't raise me, but you are just the type of parents I want our son to have. Please. We don't want to force this on you, but we do want you to know we would be honored and extremely delighted if you did decide you wanted to do this."

"River- you're talking about _losing a child_. Like you said- we don't travel with the Doctor-"

"Yes, I said the _Doctor_. I never said me. And, it wouldn't be immediate, even for me. I want to keep him for at least a little while, then I'll take him to you guys. I know what it is I'm giving up- believe me, we've talked about this _a lot._ But, like the Doctor said, we have the rest of his life with him. But he'll have roots and security and a future, and he'll understand humans in a way my beautiful ageless god can't. I want to make sure my son seems as human and normal as possible to any enemy eyes who may be watching by giving him to a nice, familiar, normal couple. And missing this part of his life seems like a small price to pay for his safety."

Amy and Rory looked at each other, each finally realizing the danger their daughter's son would be in as long as he remained with either of his natural parents. And they refused to let any harm come to him, or to never see him again. They turned to River and the Doctor, wide grins on their faces.

"Ok. If you're really and truly sure about this, when the time comes, we'll keep Anthony safe."

"We are sure. 100% sure. We want you to raise our son as your own."

"Well then. In that case- you were right about the name. Song won't do." Said Rory, still giving a weak salute as he gathered their baby- all of theirs, he realized- into his arms. "He'll just have to settle for being Anthony Brian Williams."


	16. But He'd Prefer to be Called

**A/N- Slightly AU**

**WARNING: This is another TimeTot chapter- completes the last one, but they would have been way too long together, plus this tone is different. **

**Again, it's ok to skip if it's not your thing. Other chapters will not be centered around this.**

**Please Review.**

**Part 2**

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They had been in Manhattan for a few years now- still adjusting to a steady, linear life on a different continent in a different time. Eventually, they seemed to fall into the somewhat unfamiliar territory of routine and kept appointments. But at the most arbitrary times, they would find themselves so agonizingly sad, missing the Doctor, the life they once lived, and the regular visits from their daughter- who came around a lot less since the city could only endure so many disruptions, even small ones, so close to the Angels' paradox.

It was on one of these days, when they were reminiscing about times past, wondering what the Doctor was up to, how River was doing, if they'd had Anthony yet, when they heard a knock on their door. They opened it up to see a man in a trench coat and a woman behind him, both wearing their hats low on their faces as they pushed passed Rory and stepped into the house.

"Hey! What do you think-" the nurse started, ready to go into soldier mode to protect his wife, when the sound of a baby giggle halted his question.

The Doctor helped River out of her trench coat, lifting Anthony out of his sling. The noticeably- older infant laughed, reaching for River's hair before turning and slapping the Doctor's face excitedly.

"Come along, Williams."

They stayed for two weeks, a stolen moment that was never meant to happen. During that time, Anthony never left the arms of either River or the Doctor for more than a few moments. They helped Rory and Amy with cover stories, giving them the necessary paperwork for a 1940s adoption. They shopped for all the supplies the baby would need, and helped the Williams set up the nursery- in which the Doctor set up a few anachronistic gadgets like a video recorder with nearly- unlimited memory, a camera powered by carbon dioxide, and a mobile phone programmed to reach River throughout space and time (they decided it'd be too dangerous to be able to phone the Doctor on a moment's whim).

Finally, they kissed their son one last time, the Doctor whispering once more in his own tongue. Then they gathered the Williams into one last hug as they passed their most precious treasure to his most reliable guards.

It was the most bittersweet day of the lives of Amy and Rory Williams. They had the child they always wanted, taken from the child they'd lost. However, despite the tears in all eyes present, there was a definite and complete joy from the both couples, knowing this child had restored hope in each of them.

Anthony grew up- loved, safe, cared for and protected. He dreamed of the stars with his feet planted firmly on earth. He grew and he learned and he stayed in the care of his adoptive parents and he made a life for himself that his natural parents would never have. When his first body had grown older, he delivered a message to his great- grandfather from his granddad. Though he had seen his natural mother all throughout his life, he waited for the blue box, promised to return for him by a madman speaking in another tongue a long, long time ago. Then, when his body finally gave out and he became a young man once more, he heard the brakes of an ancient engine as the only other one of his kind finally returned for him.

Anthony Williams- the last Pond to be kept waiting.


	17. Why Do You Want to Study Archeology?

Mels never was one to care about the opinions of others- with the occasional exception of Amy and Rory. So it really shouldn't have surprised Rory when he discovered her new hobby. She was sitting outside on a bench one day- reading. That alone was enough to startle him. He was excited for her- he knew she was brilliant, and with a little encouragement, could be a real academic should she so choose.

He smiled as he approached her, mesmerized in her book, and asked her if it was good. She responded with a positive grunt, and he was optimistic she would finally begin to earn the marks he knew her capable of. Then, he asked her what she was reading, and all his dreams of finally having a proper study buddy were crushed. As she turned the book to him, still enthralled in its pages, he stammered his Rory stammer and blushed- both at the rather graphic title and the suggestive front cover. And he had thought she had begun to take literature seriously.

After that, she had one of _those_ novels with her constantly- and would pick it up at a moment's notice, sometimes so engaged she exited the conversation, other times flicking through the pages as casually as one would a magazine at a doctor's office.

Amy would always insist on reading the summaries on the back cover- slowly reciting each line in a seductive tone, always with a hint of amusement as she read the first the synopsis then each review of the new book. She never actually dared open one though- reading was never her thing regardless of the topic. Besides, she argued, who wanted to read cheesy romance novels when there was life to be lived.

Mels, though, never blushed- instead giggling as Amy delivered her overdramatic performance before snatching the book away or adding her own scenarios playing out on Amy's tongue. Sometimes, Rory really didn't know why he was friends with these two. The girls would laugh and joke and it became another game of theirs to see who could turn his face reddest.

Finally, when the two of them were walking home one day, Rory tripped on his own two feet and in her effort to catch him, Mels dropped her bag, the contents spilling all over the sidewalk. Rory helped her gather her things, picking up her latest novel, a hardback with a very explicit title and image on the front. It had fallen face- first onto the ground, and he tried very hard to subtly pick it up and close it- when a certain name caught his eye. He paused- fully opening the book and turning his body to keep reading when Mels, who saw what he was holding, lunged for it.

No matter how much his eyes took in, his brain nearly refused to process what he was seeing.

"Rory Williams. If you have any sense of self- preservation you will give that back to me. NOW." Said his very aggressive best friend.

"Mels- I- Just- WOW. This is nothing to be ashamed of, you know."

She reached over and grabbed the book from his hands, slamming it shut with a fervor.

"How much did you read?"

"Enough. Mels, why would you keep something like that to yourself? It just proves how brilliant you are. I don't understand-"

"Just forget it okay?" She seemed very, dangerously flustered and very, dangerously angry.

"Okay." Said Rory, very much not intending to forget it.

Two weeks later, while they were waiting for Amy to get home, he walked into the room where she was casually reading another book on the bed.

"What's this one about then?"

She rolled her eyes, maneuvering the book so he could see the title without her having to look up.

"I mean, what is it _really_ about, Mels?"

She gave him a warning look that told him he'd better drop it, and was saved from further conversation when Amy walked through the door.

The next time, she was more careful about her reading habits, shutting the book she was reading at lunch when he approached the table, not- very- subtly resting her arm on top of it. He took the hint.

Finally, his curiosity got the best of him, and when he approached her on the same bench where he first saw her reading, he simply took the book out of her hand and flipped to the title page on the inside.

"_Howard Carter and the Discovery of a King's Tomb_. Before that, it was _The Truth about Cleopatra_ and before that was something about Hitler. Someone's more fascinated in history than they'd like to let on."

"Shut it, Rory."

"I just don't get it Mels. Why hide? Why pretend to read such…un…_academic_ things when you actually have something intellectual and clever to show off? Why act as if you're only interested in trash? Scared people will catch on to how brilliant you are?"

"I'm not scared! I just- well, what business is it of theirs what I read? They're going to think what they think either way. Why not just let them keep believing whatever they want? Not like it matters to me anyway."

"Who's they?"

"Them!" she gestured obscurely. "The world. Teachers. People. Does it matter?"

"Oh. I get it." Said Rory, slightly saddened by his realization. "Mels, just because people seem to have low expectations of you, doesn't mean you have to meet them. In fact, I won't stand for it anymore. I've always known you're a genius, and now I have proof."

She scoffed. "You'll have a hard time proving anything to anyone."

"It's not me who needs to, Mels. It's you. You've already proven to me how clever you can be- just this ploy to manipulate people's perception of you showed how cunning you are. Now you just have to prove to yourself how amazing you can be."

"By doing what? Get top marks in history? Go to university? Then what? Become a teacher of ancient gossip? Is that really what you expect me to do, Rory? Is that the great thing I'm destined for?" She was going for sarcasm, but Rory could sense the desire under the humiliation she was trying to bestow. She really wanted someone to believe in her. Wanted _him_ to believe in her.

"It's a start." He said, not letting her words hit their mark. "Maybe travel a bit. See those places you read about. Then write your own books that blow everyone else's out of the water. Become a world- renowned doctor of history, then when you've finished showing everyone else how brilliant you are, be the most popular professor of any school of your choosing."

Mels looked up at him, a derisive look on her face.

"You know, despite what everyone says about me, I think you're the one who's crazy."

He smiled- an action that made her lips curve up as well.

"Well then, I guess we make the perfect team. The crazy nurse and the psycho historian. Watch out world."

"Watch out universe." She turned to look at him seriously, her smile only evident in her eyes, "Don't tell Amy. She and I- we've always been the same. Had the same interests and stuff… Just please. Don't tell her."

"Don't worry. I'm not one to ruin a girl's reputation. Especially one so carefully constructed as yours."

He never blushed at her novels after that- even found himself joining the conversations about them. And he was pleased when, the next time he asked Mels what she was reading, she went into a detailed explanation not only about the book, but her own theories connecting the burial practices of the ancient Mycenaeans and the Sumerians, excitedly babbling in a way he had never seen her do before.

He never did let on that he knew exactly what was in Mel's "_naughty_" novels.

* * *

She was furious at him- really, properly furious. He'd done it again!

"Doctor! How many times have I told you that my books are not for coloring?!"

Amy and Rory looked up at their livid daughter, while the Doctor put his hands up, trying to protect himself from any wayward slaps that may be coming his way.

"River, I wasn't _coloring_. I was _fixing._"

"My books are for MY research. NOT for you to show off how many times you've shown up in history!"

"But I was helping you!"

"Writing the word WRONG in bright purple crayon every three sentences is not _helpful_, Dear."

"See, that's the problem with archeology- no one's ever willing to admit that their conclusions don't make any sense based on what really happened!"

"No, the problem's with nosy time- travelers who can't keep their hands off other people's books and let them come to their own conclusions based on the available facts!"

The argument went on for several minutes more- moving throughout the TARDIS at the rate of several slammed doors per hallway.

A few days later, when River was trying to hide from her husband and get some real work done, Rory knocked on the door.

"I, erm, I thought you could use this."

He handed her a large hard- covered book. She raised an eyebrow when she looked at the front.

"Well. I certainly didn't expect _you_ to ever give me something like this."

"Just open it." He said, cheeks slightly flushed at her teasing tone.

The first few pages were just as blush- worthy as the cover suggested, then after the "first" chapter came the title of the actual book.

_An Elucidation of 31st Century Rome_, by Doctor River Song.

She smiled up at her father. "You remembered."

"Well- not _too_ long ago for me. Made for some very awkward moments, after all. That's just to test it out. You know- a girl's got to maintain her reputation and all that. Anyway, I found that one in the library after explaining the situation to the TARDIS. Figured she might be inclined to help- you being you and all."

"Thank you, Dad. I have a feeling this will really come in handy."

One day, when she was walking past her bedroom, she heard a high- pitched squeak from the Doctor and a clatter on the floor. She kept walking, a smile on her face.

She never had purple crayon in any of her books ever again.

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**A/N- Please Review.**


	18. She's River And She's our Daughter

**A/N- This came from a quote in one episode, and my realization at how similar River, Amy, (and Rory) are in their grand gestures. Also, I think the Ponds needed to process their dynamic better after Let's Kill Hitler. Amy's timeline is very intentional...**

**Please Review.**

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As the TARDIS braked outside of Stormcage, River put on her best smile and prepared to greet whatever version of her husband emerged from her real home.

"Hello Swee-"

But it was a very forlorn looking Amy, not the Doctor, who exited the TARDIS doors.

"Amy- are you ok?"

She stood looking down, not making eye contact with River.

"Asked the Doctor to bring me here."

"Ok. What's wrong?" demanded River, her guard immediately up, ready to take on whatever it was that had her mother looking so… lost. She had tears in her eyes and a sadness in her voice that River recognized from very few times before. A very confused despair.

"My baby was stolen from me. She dissolved right in my arms."

River didn't know how to respond to this. She didn't know how far Amy was in their time stream- didn't know if she was aware that her baby was standing in front of her.

"Turns out I grew up with her. She was my best friend in the whole world."

River relaxed- her mum knew her. She looked at the confused face she knew so well, leaving her cell with the screwdriver Amy passed her and leading her mother back into the TARDIS.

They went into one of the living areas that consisted of stove, sink, beanbags, couches, and a small trampoline. Also known as the kitchen where they ate when the Doctor decided tables were rubbish.

Amy made her way to one of the larger sofas and sank into it, River sitting beside her after putting the kettle on. She pulled her knees up to her chest, and River reached out a tentative hand to rest on hers.

"Mu- Amy. What's this about?"

"When we- wait, where are you?"

"I just spent Christmas with the Doctor; you guys were on a cruise space ship for your honeymoon. The last time I saw _you_ was… your 25th birthday."

"Oh. I'm not there yet."

"Where are you?"

"We just left this man- he found out his son wasn't really his son, and he loved him anyway. He claimed and loved a baby that wasn't even really his." She nearly broke down, " In terms of you- we just left you in the hospital after Berlin."

River sucked in a breath.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Oh."

"So, what's troubling you exactly?"

"It's just… _so_ much to accept, yeah? You're you. And you're Mels. And you're Melody. I just can't- well, I _can_, it's just... Ahh! I can't even sort my own thoughts."

"Ok. Try one sentence at a time."

"River Song is my daughter."

She laughed at the bluntness and attitude in this statement.

"Yes, I am."

"The Doctor loves River Song."

"Mm. Yes he does."

She got up and poured them each a cup of tea, sitting back down next to an Amy who still looked like her brain needed to catch up with where she was trying to lead it.

"The Doctor loves my daughter."

"Getting somewhere."

"I didn't know I was pregnant with my daughter until I gave birth."

"Well, the original test I bought with you did come out positive. Of course, then things… got complicated."

"My best friend bought me a test confirming I was pregnant… with _her._"

"Ok, still only one sentence at a time…"

"My best friend, who I grew up with, was also the baby I carried and named and nursed, was also the woman I met on the Byzantium before I was married."

"Yes. And, spoilers."

"Ok. Getting there. Nope. Not there yet."

"Ok."

"You were _Mels._"

"I know."

"You died."

"Yes, I did. More than once."

"We _left you._"

"Yes, you did."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Contrary to your timeline, I am very much a grown woman. And, considering we've been talking for not 15 minutes and you've already let spoilers slip, I'd imagine you'd have a really hard time with the foreknowledge you have and being with me in a confined space. At least now, I know to warn you. Then, I was so young. And confused. It would have been a disaster! Not to mention you and Dad, I mean, Rory, have always had so much influence on my opinions. But back then, for the first time in my life, I got to fully decide what to do with my life and what to think for myself. My life finally belonged to _me._ Even when I was young, the brainwashing always ensured I would have eventually found and killed the Doctor."

"So, you _were_ brainwashed then?"

"Of course."

"Are you still?"

She smiled gently.

"I know my own mind, if that's what you're asking. But there are certain messages that come through now and then. I just get to choose what to listen to."

"Like what?"

"Moth- Amy," River said with a warning in her tone.

"You're in prison. My daughter's in prison."

"Yes."

"For murder. You killed a good man."

"Well, it seems you know enough about me at this point. More or less."

"Was it the Doctor? Is that who you killed?"

River reached out and put her hand on Amy's once more.

"Would it change the way you see me if it was?" River carefully evaded.

"That's just it- I'm not sure how to see you. _Before_ was complicated, but now…"

"That's not what this is about. What is it that's really bothering you? Just say it."

"You grew up with me."

"Yes."

"Before that, you were in an orphanage."

"Mm hm."

"Where I wasn't."

"No."

"I'm never going to see my baby again, am I?"

"No, Amy. You won't." River said matter of factly- her mother having finally voiced her biggest problem.

Amy looked up at this- holding River's gaze as she tried to process and accept yet another fact of her very confusing life. Then, she gulped- needing another answer as desperately as she needed air.

"When the Doctor left us- at Demon's Run- did he come to see you?"

River considered this, knowing where she was headed with the questions.

"He might have done."

"And he asked you where you'd been taken?"

"Yes."

"So, why didn't he ever find you?"

River couldn't meet her mum's eyes when she at last made her confession.

"Because I asked him not to," she almost whispered.

Amy firmly lifted her daughter's head at this.

"Why?!" She asked, hurt and anger finally seeping through.

River carefully studied her, knowing her answer would probably never satisfy a grieving mother.

"Because Melody Pond could have never have become River Song."

"What?"

"Mother." She finally let the word slip through, "I was raised for one purpose, and one purpose alone- to kill the Doctor. And then, when I learned the truth of what he is, I fell in love with him. But without that training, I wouldn't be me. The me now. The me he loves back. I would simply be his companions' daughter."

"But isn't that a good thing?"

"It might have been at one time. Who knows? We could have lived a linear life together, all four of us, travelling the stars. But it would have rewritten time. Another Melody Pond would have taken my place, lived a life I never did, and regardless of how long she lived, would have never been me."

"But she would have- All that pain you went through, was it all really worth it? To miss out on a normal life with a proper family, to die again and again I don't even know how, to wind up in prison? When all it would have taken was a sentence to change everything! Why would you give all that up?"

"I asked you once the same question- The Doctor. Is he worth it? You insisted very enthusiastically that he was."

"So you gave up your everything- your future, your past, your present- everything that should have been or could have been- for a boy?"

She smirked at that statement. Amy didn't know the half of it.

"The Doctor loves River Song. River Song loves the Doctor. Oh, yes I did."

Amy looked into her daughter's eyes- eyes full of joy and conviction and devoid of any regret at what she had just said. She asked herself if she had to make the same choice- if she had to completely lose everything she was or could have been just so she could keep her life with Rory- wouldn't she do the same thing?

Absolutely.

She knew she would rip time itself apart if it meant keeping him- and one look at River showed her that her daughter would do the exact same thing for her Doctor.

No, she couldn't blame her. Some boys were worth defying time for.

"I have to ask- Melody Pond. Are you happy?"

"Mother," she felt pleased when Amy let out a gentle smile at the word, "I have everything I could ever want. Yes. I am very happy."

"Even though you're in prison?"

"Oh- just a few walls. Nothing I can't handle. Besides- it does keep things fun."

They laughed at that- Amy knowing how both of them got when they allowed themselves to get bored. But, she felt like she needed to get one more thing off her chest at the moment.

"I really didn't want to leave you, you know."

River smiled at her mother's concern.

"I knew that. You never left me when I was Mels. And you were there when I woke up, sitting by my bedside as my mother- that meant so much to me. You accepted who I was! I knew there was a good reason you weren't there when I woke up again. Besides, we both needed the time apart to figure out where to go from there. How long ago, linearly, was Berlin for you?"

"About a month."

"Hmm. You see? You found me when you were ready. And do you want a small spoiler?"

Amy nodded, eagerly.

"I did the same thing. One day, I go to a you who knows who I am, and we have a reverse of this conversation. Beware of giving too much away when that happens!"

"I will!" said Amy as she laughed at her own loose lips, glad that it seemed they would really be alright. River laughed along with her, both delighting in the noise after so serious a conversation.

"So, do you feel better now? Everything all processed?"

"Not hardly. But I'm getting there."

River nodded, glad her mother had gotten at least a moment's peace. Then she turned serious once more.

"I'm sorry you'll never see your baby again."

Amy took her in for a moment, considering.

"Me too. However, I don't see any reason why I can't still hold her."

She smiled tentatively. River looked at her, then scooted closer.

"Me neither," she replied as she hugged her mother tightly, neither really willing to let go.


	19. New Mouth New Rules

They were at their daughter's new house in the 50st century Swiss Empire, and Amy and Rory were unpacking boxes and arranging the hydroponic garden, when a man came up behind River and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her and nuzzling her neck.

"Hello dear," he said as he kissed her on the cheek.

River smiled up at him, cupping his face and fingers lightly brushing his hair.

"Ooh, be careful darling, my husband can get awfully jealous." She flirted with a grin on her face.

"Oh? Better not do anything to upset him then."

"Like inviting a total stranger in with me and my parents?" she said playfully in such a way that Rory knew that is exactly what she intended to do.

He knew what thoughts of an unfaithful wife felt like, and he didn't wish it on anyone, certainly not his friend and son- in- law. He was trying very discreetly to figure out a way to acquire a sword or a gun- this was River's house after all, and no one would turn his daughter into someone he would feel shame towards. Not even this tall stranger who came with confidence and smooth words. And obviously this man had been stalking her- how else would he know where she lived? Undoubtedly he'd drugged her filling her head with flattery and trying to make her forget her absent spouse.

"I don't know. How jealous does your husband get?" The man said, turning her to face him and lightly kissing her cheek one more.

The blackguard. He _knew_ about the Doctor. Must be wearing hallucinogenic cologne or something, because River didn't seem to be her usual self: charming strangers while simultaneously coming up with biting remarks toward them.

"Well, he really doesn't like seeing me with strange men." She traced a finger down his nose and to his lips before lightly pecking him on the mouth.

"Well, can you blame him? Wife like you?" he said, flirtatious smile creeping up into his eyes, his arms still wrapped lightly around her.

"No, I really can't." She smiled back and tilted her head, gazing at him tenderly.

Amy didn't know who this stranger was, but she didn't like how obviously familiar her daughter was with him. It was one thing to flirt- but this: she wasn't fooled for one minute by this man's intense gaze, the slight smirk playing at his lips, the playfulness in his eyes. She didn't like this middle- aged man's slender face and sharp features- the way his nose pointed sharply or his chin narrowed or his too- thin lips or… or his grey hair, even if everything did come together in a way that suited him well. The Doctor was her best friend, after all, and her unwavering loyalty to him incensed her toward the man who had obviously somehow manipulated her daughter's affections away from her Raggedy Man. She lost it when River's hands reached down and took the imposter's firmly, their fingers interlacing as she slowly broke her parent's hearts.

"Melody Po-" Amy's righteous tantrum was halted by too- familiar words.

"Hello Sweetie."

"Hi Honey. I'm home."

* * *

**A/N- Just a short little "Welcome, Peter Capaldi" piece. Let's assume they merrily went inside and had a lovely visit together after this and that River already had seen him prior. I don't know, maybe I'll expand on his visit once we know more about his doctor.**


	20. You Think You Can Just Bring Your Dad

Out of everyone in Leadworth, England, Earth, 21st century- however they categorized their home, there was only one person they felt it especially important to shield from their Doctor life. Brian Williams was a simple man. He enjoyed being average, content in the ordinary. He had missed their wedding- let's just say it had to do with Mels, an incident involving a duck pond, and needing to bail out his son's best friend. So, he wasn't there with everyone else to see the magical appearance of a mysterious blue box and the alien who emerged from it, eventually taking his son and new daughter- in- law through adventures in space and time after their wedding.

After the incident with the dinosaurs, they realized he was more capable than they'd thought about handling their extraordinary part- time life. Soon, he was joining them on small adventures; the Doctor would whisk him along occasionally when he was fairly certain they were going to a safer planet. More or less.

It was one Intergalactic Celebration for Paternal Influences in which River had insisted the Doctor pick up her parents so she could spend it with Rory. She even made sure to call ahead with their tentative plans, despite her husband's protests. When Rory understood the occasion, he invited Brian along as well, regardless of the fact Brian didn't know River as of yet. It was decided they would pick up the Ponds to have proper adventures first, then they'd pick up Brian to spend time on the planet Dendronis, the arboretum planet.

River was very young this time around, married less than a year and still with a hint of Mels' complete recklessness. She certainly was a match for the Doctor, almost as exhausting as he was, yet without all of the complete confidence older River wore like a second skin. She still questioned him, still did what she pleased but never claimed to hate him, never called him a complete idiot, and, except for one particular moment where the TARDIS literally turned upside down for ten minutes, rarely yelled at him. It was completely unnerving and neither the Doctor, nor Rory, nor Amy liked it much. However, she still shot at everything first and asked questions later, the violent path still coming more naturally to her.

After their trips together to various planets and several life- endangering events, the family stopped by the older Williams' house and picked up Brian for a nice dinner on a planet with three suns and therefore as many sunsets. Brian insisted on pictures with his boy and his favorite daughter- in- law throughout their stroll afterward. When he asked whom the feisty woman was who seemed to be quite a match for the Doctor, they simply replied she was the Doctor's wife.

This seemed to please Brian a great deal, until he realized he hadn't met her before on their adventures. Then they explained about their timey-wimey relationship, and Brian put a hand around each of them and carried on about the importance of a good marriage and stability in a couple's lives. They politely agreed, but then the Doctor explained the complications such stability would present them. Then he went into a Doctor- monologue about how it would in fact probably tear their marriage apart as he had met her in a previous life and if he had not done so, she wouldn't have done so either, then he wouldn't know to look out for her and she wouldn't have sought him out and then they wouldn't have met and everything they have done or will do together in their respective timelines would rewrite itself until her very existence itself might be threatened. He detoured at this to explain regeneration to a very bombarded Brian who was still confused as to why they would be content to see each other out of order, finally concluding it would be best to just accept the Doctor's marriage as another part of this ridiculous man.

He liked the woman though. She seemed to be smart enough to keep up with the Doctor and didn't get lost in his rants as the other three did at times. She was funny and kind and seemed to really care for Amy and Rory and had even surprised Brian with a gift. She didn't even seem to mind their intrusion on her precious time with the Doctor while he took his companion's father for a weekend away. She simply said they were very precious to her too and it was less an intrusion and more a special occasion for her. When he asked her if she wouldn't like to be spending this Father's Weekendy thing with her dad, she simply replied that she was spending it right where she wanted.

After playing a few rounds of the game she had gifted Brian, which involved teaming him, River and Amy against the Doctor and Rory, he declared River too good for the Doctor. When River smiled at this, Brian asked the Doctor how on earth he had managed to convince such a charming woman to marry him, and the Doctor was about to launch into a very detailed explanation when he heard Rory agree under his breath.

"Oh, you know. Sometimes there are mysterious things that happen that people are prone to call miracles," he finally settled on.

All in all, the four time- travelers were proud of themselves for giving Brian special time with his son without running for their lives or surprising him in any unpleasant way. Even for a seasoned Doctor- abductee like Brian, their lives could be a little confusing or hard to take. They thought they might even get away with a peaceful sleep on the TARDIS followed by a nice Dendronis picnic, if the Doctor, with River's help, managed to land them on the correct day. Amy and Rory were congratulating their success later that night when they were settling down to sleep, when they suddenly heard the Doctor shouting their daughter's name. They had planned to try to ignore it, it was not unusual for them to fight, but then they heard the panic in the Doctor's voice, followed by him shouting at Brian as well. They raced out of bed and ran down to the console room, where they were terrified at the sight before them.

River was standing in the console room holding a gun and reciting past universal disasters. The Doctor had his hands up in surrender, yelling at Brian to stand back. Amy started shouting.

"River! What'd you doing?! Put the gun down. Doctor, what's happened?"

"She's asleep Amelia- she was having a nightmare so I tried to wake her up, but then she stood up, came in here, grabbed a gun and started listing disasters I didn't stop." He had real fear and anguish in his voice.

"Doctor, has this happened before?" Rory said, trying to figure out the best way to disarm his very lethal daughter.

"Why is she trying to kill you?" Brian asked, still trying to edge his way up to her without being a target.

"She spent her life being brainwashed against me, thought it was gone but obviously not. This happened a few times early on, she must still be that young. It's why her weapons aren't allowed anywhere near our bedroom anymore! This one's a bad one though. Every time I move she moves with me."

"So, what do we do? What did you do before?"

"Well, she usually stops herself before she actually shoots, but normally her gun was unloaded as a precaution."

"Usually?"

"Yes well, you would pick up on that, Pond. I don't know what she's seeing or how far she'll go if she doesn't come out of it. You lot might be in danger as well. I just need to get close enough to her to be able to talk to her, let her know where she is. She'll snap out of it once she gets a grip on herself."

He took a tentative step forward. River cocked the gun. He took a step to the right. Her arm followed him. Amy stepped in front of him, blocking River's view.

"Stop this! Stop it this instant! Wake up! It's me! Please, Baby. Wake up!"

River tilted her head, but didn't lower the gun. Brian lunged from the left and Rory from the right, grabbing her hand and trying to lower her arm. She struggled against Brian and tried to fight off Rory, but he had spent way too long as a soldier to be deterred by an elbow or knee. He simply put a hand around hers where she still tightly clasped the gun, hugging her head to his chest and began speaking in her ear.

"It's ok, Melody. You're safe. You don't have to do this. Wake up, love. It's me. You're not a weapon. You don't have to listen to the voices. You can choose who you want to be. You're my Melody Williams. You are loved. You are River Song. You are strong. You are Melody Pond. You are good. Please, baby. Put the gun down. You are not a psychopath. Wake up. This is not who you are anymore. Wake up."

He kept trying to whisper in her ear, Brian still keeping a tight grip on her as well. Finally, her hand went limp as first she looked down at the gun in her hand, and then she looked up at Rory, a sheen of unshed tears in her eyes.

"Daddy?" she said in a small voice.

Rory ignored his father's startled face, concentrating on his own child.

"Yes, River. You're ok. I've got you. You're alright. Everything's fine. Shh." He rocked her as she shivered with the horror of her almost- actions. "You're ok. I'm here."

She finally dropped the gun into his hand, which he swiftly handed to the Doctor, who put it as far away from her as he could.

Amy came and wrapped her arms around her, as River apologized to all of them for what had happened. Then she turned to the Doctor.

"Oh, Sweetie- I'm sorry. I'm so sorry my love. I couldn't stop it. I'm sorry."

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly until she calmed down.

"I wasn't worried. You're my River Song. My wonderful, impossible wife. You would've found a way."

After taking a deep breath and letting out a loud sigh, she finally pulled away from him and turned to her parents and grandfather.

"I'm so sorry for worrying everyone."

"Now, don't start," insisted her mother. "It's not your fault. And it all turned out alright."

"It seems we still don't know everything they did to you. I expect, all things considered, it's going to take quite a while before all effects of your training are completely gone," said her father, ever the nurse.

"Now that that's over I think this calls for a nice calming cup of tea while someone explains to me what just happened," said Brian.

* * *

A small while later they were all sitting around in some of the Doctor's comfy chairs, finishing the end of their explanations to Brian, who seemed to be taking it rather well.

"So, Mels is you?"

"Yes."

"And you're ok with this?" He asked Rory and Amy.

"Have to be. She's still our daughter, no matter what life she's in," responded Amy.

"Well, in that case, I've just got one more thing to say."

"What's that?" Rory asked warily.

"As your grandfather, River- or do you prefer Melody?"

She smiled. "Either's fine from you."

"Well, as your grandfather, River, I must say that the Doctor's way too old for you."

She threw her head back and laughed at this statement- more used to opposite comment from people ignorant of their situation.

"Well, what can I say, Brian? My husband's a cradle robber."

"It doesn't count, Mrs. Robinson," whined the Doctor, wrapping his arms tighter around her middle as he put his chin on her head. "Especially considering we're part of the same long- lived species."

"So, you're a different species altogether then?"

"More like an enhancement on human. I don't age the same way unless I choose to, and I do have some physical strengths and abilities normal humans don't possess, but I'm not nearly as alien at this one." She pointed behind her.

"Oi!"

"I didn't say alien was bad, My Love."

Amy yawned in the corner, content in the peace that had once more settled on her family.

"I think it's time the missus and I went back to bed. River, I think it best if I lock up all your weapons tonight. You can get them back in the morning."

"But Daaad," she teased.

"No buts, young lady. I expect you to behave and not shoot at anyone for the rest of the night," he played along.

"Muuum," she whined to Amy, a smile playing on her lips.

"You heard your father. No guns for the rest of the night."

"You guys are no fun," she pouted as her parents each kissed her on her forehead before turning to go back to their room.

"This has certainly been an interesting night," declared Brian. "I expect nothing we do tomorrow- hang on a minute. That's why you're here."

"What?" asked River, not completely following his train of thought.

"The Fathers Celebration thing. Rory. You're spending it with him."

"Of course. He's my father."

"And I'm your grandfather. Goodnight, Granddaughter," he smiled.

"Goodnight, Grandfather," she returned the grin.

* * *

When Brian went home the next night, it was with 4 different species of alien plants, 3 new postcards to send to his friends, 2 days worth of unforgettable memories, and 1 very special promise from his granddaughter that she would be by to visit him as often as possible, keeping him updated on her many adventures.

He settled back into his normal routine, but only after he bought a special frame for the picture of him, his son, his daughter- in- law, his granddaughter, and his alien grandson- in- law all on a planet far, far away from the ordinary.


	21. Ageless god

**A/N- I'm… not even sure where this came from. Angsty. Enjoy.**

* * *

She had a secret angel. Well, he wasn't so secret. He'd been there as long as she could remember. He claimed to have been there since right after she was born. Maybe she should believe him. Who knows? But then again, maybe she shouldn't.

It didn't matter. What mattered was this- he always came for her. And he was nearly always around when she needed someone. When she could remember, she knew they had been teaching her. They taught her to fight. They taught her to kill. To cheat. To lie. To manipulate. To steal. He was there, too. But he taught other skills, too.

He taught her other ways to fight. But his fighting wasn't for killing, it was for survival. They taught her how to defeat, he taught her how to protect. He told her he knew tricks for mending as well, so he taught her how to heal what they taught her to hurt. He showed her how to smile when she was sad, to laugh when she wanted to cry, to believe when she wanted to break. And, oddly enough, he taught her to flirt. Not that he did it with her directly- she was just a child after all. But he did teach her the confidence and innuendo needed as he brought her along with him on practice missions, where they would carry out minor jobs in preparation for the "big one." He said she needed something to keep her going- and his silly words and the reactions they got always made her laugh.

He gifted her with the only presents she had ever received. Toys meant for fun and comfort, and not only for education. An outfit she could wear to feel beautiful in and not just to fight- or whatever it was she would do when she was conscious of doing it. And, when they were out on a new planet and she saw what she thought was one of the prettiest women ever, he bought her a big girl lipstick, so she could feel pretty too.

He told her she was special- something she was used to hearing in her dreams from mysterious creatures. But she didn't get scared when he said it. He would take pictures of her in all of her activities. When she asked why, he just replied that they were for an old friend who would want to know she was alright. And he always gave her copies- the few happy memories she had in her life. Including her favorite- the one of the woman he told her loved her more than anything else in the universe.

She asked him his name, but he would never really answer her, giving her instead something he called an _alias_. Said it was meant to keep them both safe a little while longer. Sometimes he would go away, but he always seemed so much older when he returned. And yet, he also seemed to barely age. She couldn't ever understand that.

She didn't really have very many sympathetic beings in her life- the headless monks were no joy, and the clerics were known more for their efficiency than their kindness. But he always smiled for her, at her. As though he was… glad she was there. One day, she got very brave and asked why he was so nice to her when everyone else was so…not. He just looked very wistful and said something about a promise and a debt to a very old friend.

He would hold her hand when they went out- not possessively like the others, but in a friendly way, like he didn't want to let her go. She trusted him, even though she knew so little about him. She only knew his _alias_, the fact that he was tall, kind, strong, a leader- others always seemed to follow his commands, laughed with his whole heart, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw something that frightened her. Despite his appearance, he seemed so very old, and so very sad. But he also seemed to- love her. She tried asking about his friend that meant so much to him, but he was always so evasive about that. Finally, he told her that his friend was one of the best people he had ever met. She wanted to meet them too.

She knew he couldn't break many rules when they were together, but he did try to bend them as much as possible for her, when he was around. He would tell her stories- wonderful stories of far away worlds and planets and people he had met and loved and lost. When they told her stories about how the Doctor failed everyone, he would whisper to her the dangers of hatred. He tried to teach her how to hang on and when to let go. But despite what they said, she was still just a child. She couldn't always understand his lessons.

Then, one day, he went too far. She was so, so tired. And she had disobeyed once again. She didn't know what she had done wrong, just remembered feeling scared. They had moved her to an orphanage on earth not so long ago, and she had seen the Spaceman. The whispers in her mind told her the Spaceman would eat her. She was so scared of it. She ran to him, grabbed him tightly and refused to let him go. She told him she didn't want the Spaceman to get her- please, please help her. He had always protected her when she really needed it.

That night, he snuck her to where the Spaceman was and showed her how to escape if she could manage it. She would never manage it- they were always watching her. Plus, what could she do if she escaped? He told her to remember what he had taught her- how to run and to survive no matter what, but to always try to show compassion whenever it was possible. She asked why he wouldn't just not make her go in it and stay with her so she didn't have to survive.

At this, he grabbed her head and kissed her, pulling her into one of the very few hugs she had ever felt. He held her tightly, and she felt his tears on her cheeks.

"I will be with you as long as I can. But soon, you'll have to be as amazing as I know you can be, all on your own. Can you do that for me, Melody?"

She nodded, the tears already starting to fall from her own eyes. She knew what it was to be left- knew he was saying goodbye. This one was different from the others, though. It felt more final.

"I'll try. But will I ever see you again?" The tears were uncontrollable now.

"I guarantee it. But, I may not know who you are then. And I may seem so different you won't even recognize me. But it's still me. It will always be me. I promise."

She didn't understand. He was the most important person in her life. How could she not recognize him? But she had learned long ago that he was the only person she could trust, so if he said it, it must be true.

He tucked her in that night, and told her one last story, one of her favorites- a story about a man who ran through the stars and time itself, who lost and loved and never really died. A man who made so many mistakes yet was forgiven again and again. Who had run away so very long ago from home, but had found a new one again. Who learned to grieve, but then learned to hope, and that hope let him live another day. She had heard this story many times, but it wasn't until this final moment with him that she realized the story was his own. And she decided if he could keep going, so could she- somehow.

The headless monks were in the doorway- she knew they were coming for him. He had taught her to escape, and like she'd said earlier, someone was always watching. She knew what his punishment would be. They were cruel, mean people, and she would never see her angel again.

He refused to look behind him as he tucked her in. But when he leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, he just looked in her eyes with joy, a smile on his face despite the tears in his eyes.

"Be brave, my Melody. Be amazing. And remember- you are worth fighting for."

She was scared for him, but they only had these final moments, so she grabbed his neck tightly and gave him the hardest hug her tiny body could muster, saying into his short brown hair, "Mr. Boe- you're the very best friend I've ever had."

He hugged her back, then sang her to sleep, blocking the monsters behind him with his body. She never saw him again after that.

* * *

His head was placed in a glass jar, similar to the hand of a friend he once had. For his loyalty, that same friend managed to arrange for him to communicate telepathically with the world. He had a new life ahead of him- no longer a soldier, now a powerful being of influence and mystery. A wonderful reward for the unsuspecting hero.

* * *

When he opened his eyes, he looked at the face of the very old friend for whom he had helped raise a very small, vulnerable child, and just said, "My debt is repaid. I kept my promise, Centurion. Your daughter is going to be magnificent."


	22. Is It a Cry for Help?

**A/N- I wrote this for my own enjoyment. The last line ran through my head one day, and this is what came of it. Hope you like it!**

* * *

It was one of those weeks where River was travelling with them constantly- an occasional occurrence when they knew who she was- after all, not only were they her parents, but they _had_ been her best friends.

Amy only ever found out where the Doctor's room was- or the fact that he had a room at all- because of her daughter.

While her Raggedy Man worked on his precious ship, River invited Amy in to explore her wardrobe, rooms upon rooms of different outfits, scarves, accessories, and most of all- shoes. They spent hours in there, Amy using her daughter's clothes closet as a shopping mall. They dressed up and accessorized- the reverse of a child trying on her mommy's big- girl clothes.

River would explain where she was when she acquired random articles of clothing such as a leather rawhide catsuit (something about dinosaurs, sturdy material, and the Doctor's fetish for poking creatures with sharp teeth- repeatedly). She had jewelry that Snow White's dwarves would covet- some of it even obtained legitimately. Amy laughed when she saw River's collection of headdresses. Apparently, they aren't only good when researching ancient cultures, but for impersonating chieftains when the Doctor is once again blamed for the infertile grounds and peoples of different centuries and planets. Amy complained when River forced her into a corset, upset when she realized her daughter cheated and had herself donned a 33rd century contraption that maintained all the appearance of the 16th century torture device while also maintaining all mobility and breathability. Apparently, River's was more conducive to battle.

They got lost in River's own little world of shoes- from practical to utterly ridiculous, colorful to elegant- it seemed if it was ever in style on any world in any time, River owned it. Amy understood the use for high sandals of Ancient Rome and the pryxn from Melitta Minoria. She got that her daughter went on digs wearing the boots and that the heels were her signature. She didn't understand the jelly shoes of Nuez- literally made of a type of moldable jam. She drooled over the stilettos and laughed when she found out the Doctor had a pair of platform shoes to match his wife's. She enjoyed attempting to balance on the zero- gravity bubble shoes of Wonkan and paraded in all the specially- made designer shoes her daughter had charmed her way into getting personally crafted. It took hours for Rory to retrieve his girls from that room just to remind them to eat at one point.

Amy understood when River quickly steered her past the assorted, yet similar, spacesuits she had well- guarded behind glass (the suits themselves were indispensable in their function, but their ability to remain intact remained solely on their distance from the suit- weary River), on to the different uniforms she wore as she commanded in various wars and battles. The fact River was a soldier didn't surprise Amy, though she was curious as to what causes her daughter fought for.

River called Rory over to hear a few of her war stories- from the slave revolutions of New Neo New Egypt to Earth's own French Revolution. She told them the real story of the skirmish of Troy and about a crushing lost battle in a valley on Hera during the Unification War against the Alliance. She also told them stories where it was she, and not just her pacifist husband, who stopped the fighting before it had a chance to begin.

It seemed there were now only two rooms left unexplored in this massive place- River allowed Amy to make her way through the room where she kept her nightclothes, explaining that the one room she quickly locked was for "special" clothes that her mother never need see. And she was smart enough to hide the key, knowing her mother would try to swipe it once she got the chance. After Amy's second attempt, she turned her attention to her "trophy room," saying it was the one room in here that the Doctor never found. Inside were bits and pieces of cloth that had no rhyme or reason to Amy, until she found tattered pieces of a red fez.

"Have you really shot this many hats off the Doctor?"

"That man will never learn. However, in my defense- it's not just hats in here. That right there is fortunately all that remains of this hideous waistcoat he was once fond of."

Amy actually shrieked at the sight- although, upon further reflection, she really shouldn't be surprised.

So, after what could have been hours or days exploring the many looks of River Song, she thought her child could surprise her no more. Then one, ill- fated night, Amy passed by her and the Doctor's room on her way to get a midnight snack, where she saw her daughter wearing what she instantly knew was what River had tried to keep locked behind a door in the nightclothes department. It stopped her cold in her tracks- her eyes wide and gawking.

"Oh. My. Gosh," said the stunned Amy. "So _this_ is what you were hiding! You know- there are certain things mothers should never know about their daughters."

River looked up to see her mother's shocked expression and immediately tried to put on a long dressing gown to cover up, but it was too late. Amy had seen all she needed to.

"Mum! What're you doing up?! It's not what it looks like- the Doctor bought a few sets of these for me one Christmas- years ago. I was just seeing if they still fit, that's all. You know him and his odd… tastes."

For being one of the best liars in the universe, River was doing a terrible job.

"You have forever altered my perception of _the_ River Song," said Amy, a little disappointment behind her blush.

"What's the matter, Pond?" asked the Doctor as he passed Amy, plate full of jammie dodgers in his hand- noticing the look on both his friend and wife's faces.

"She-"

"I just saw what River wears to bed when she thinks she won't get caught. And you! You bought it for her!"

The Doctor was oblivious to his wife's discomfort, ignoring her attempts to cover herself as he took off his own dressing gown with delight- showing off his matching nightclothes to Amy.

He wiggled his feet in her face as both she and River groaned.

"They're cool, Pond. Footie pajamas are cool."

* * *

**Not completely sure I got the terminology correct, but still- I think the point comes across well. - I love playing with Amy's perception of River and River's embarrassment- she's River Song for crying out loud! Also, if anyone is interested, I'd love to see this "prompt" fiddled with by someone else. It could be very entertaining! Anyway, PM me if you end up doing anything with this, I'd love to read it.**


	23. Following You, What'd You Think?

**A/N- Mels when she first regenerates into River indicates she hadn't intended to kill the Doctor- her brainwashing had taken over when he showed up, hence all the events in Let's Kill Hitler. So, what was she still doing in Leadworth before?**

* * *

She had so many dreams. She was going to go off to see the world, and then when that got too small, she would obey the call ingrained in her very being and go back to the stars. Perhaps see the asteroid on which she was born. Maybe one day she'd see her Mr. Boe's home planet. And she'd take her mum and dad with her.

They'd know her by her real name then. And know who she was. They'd love her like she'd always wanted, and she wouldn't have to hide anymore. Their reprimands would be those of parents addressing a wayward daughter, not a wild best friend. And she would address them by their titles. They'd wait by her bedside when she was sick, and hold her close when she was sad. Then they'd scold her for worrying them and she'd complain while secretly loving it.

Her mother's Raggedy Man would return then, and she would marry him and they would travel in his magic phone box and rescue planets and right all the wrongs in history. She wouldn't forget her new dreams either. The ones her father had so long ago unintentionally inspired and so recently encouraged (although she was still unaware of the former fact). Researching the Last Centurion of whom she'd dreamed since birth had aroused an interest in history, and she had discovered a love of uncovering the past. She could do right by her dad. She would become all those things they'd dreamed of for her- a doctor in her chosen profession, maybe even a professor someday.

He'd be proud. He would be so proud to call her his daughter. And she knew how emotional he'd get. Probably cry at her graduation. Her mum- well, her mum would embarrass her for sure. Amelia Pond was not known for her subtlety. And Melody would bask in her parents' praise, once they knew they were her parents. She would be amazing- she'd even be able to keep up with her mother's imaginary friend once he returned, because she wouldn't have to hide anymore- wouldn't have to maintain the illusion of _average._

Still, she couldn't deny she liked a bit of trouble, so she'd have to be sure and seek that out as often as possible. As much as people liked to think _she_ was the main troublemaker, her mother was no saint. Ooh, the havoc they could wreak when they worked as a team. They could fluster any man with their flirtatious innuendos, outsmart the local authorities (well, distract them anyway), and they could escape any fix when they worked together. And when they didn't- well, that's why Amy always borrowed money from Rory to bail Mels out. What were future secret fathers for?

She could even put her training to use in wherever they went- she was more than fair with a gun and was trained in several types of combat. She could be a private detective or a consultant or a spy. She could command armies or lead teams or infiltrate wealthy parties, ripping off businessmen too small minded to realize what they had. And of course, she'd look fabulous doing it. Maybe she'd even teach her mum how to handle a weapon. No. Maybe not. Or her dad- but the thought of the mild- mannered future nurse actually fighting brought a smile to her face and a laugh to her lips.

Oh, what a team they'd make- Rory Williams and Pond girls travelling the universe. Well, at least Amy and she would- her dad wasn't much for travelling. Must've gotten it from her grandfather. So he wouldn't go with them. No, wait. These were her fantasies. Yes, Rory would go too.

But he wouldn't be as enthralled as they were with the universe, just be more as he was now- someone up for anything but not really the adventure seeker. She smiled to herself as she imagined him getting caught up in some dangerous adventure, then she'd saunter right up to him, say "Hello, Dad," because she'd be allowed to, and explain everything that was happening brilliantly, because she'd be 10 steps ahead of everyone else and that'd be okay.

She was roused out of her lovely dreams and looked around her very, very empty residence.

She turned to her picture of Amy and Rory. And decided as she thought about what life would hold for her after fast- approaching graduation, of all the dreams she had, she just wanted to be close to them. Someday, they would know everything. Someday, they would cause all the trouble they could handle. Someday, perhaps she would go to university and study whatever she wanted with people who were closer to her intelligence level. And maybe, someday, they would all see a life outside of their sleepy little town. But today, and tomorrow, and for however long they wanted, she would stay with them in Leadworth. Because today, right here, right now, even if they didn't know it, she was theirs and they were hers. And that was enough for now.


	24. And Who Might You Be?

**A/N- This chapter is rated a solid PG-13/ T. It deals with the appearance of one Captain Jack Harkness in the lives of the Ponds. It's a tie in for previous and potential future chapters, but not altogether necessary if the rating makes you nervous.**

**If you do read it, please review. This is my first serious attempt at the Captain. Thank you!**

They were in a tavern on the third crater of Zulon, waiting for their husbands at the end of their girls' day. River was trying to get her mother to ignore her injured ankle, which she had twisted running from a rabid creature known as an abaoun. Eventually, River had convinced the creature that a pond full of fish would be a better place to scout for a meal. Suddenly, a man approached them, tall, brunette, and with the distinct swagger of someone used to getting his way. River was married to a man with such a swagger.

"Can I buy you ladies a drink?"

River and Amy looked up.

"Only if you sit next to me," said River flirtatiously.

"Love to. Gives me a chance to get to know you. And for you to get to know me." He waggled his eyebrows.

"Oh, I already know men like you." Her voice dropped flirtatiously.

"Do you? What do you know about men like me?" He sat down in the stool next to River.

"One word- Trouble." She turned toward him with a smile.

"Only to women like you, who I suspect like trouble."

"Hmm. You have no idea," she replied with a smirk.

"Waiting for someone in particular?" He glanced around to see if she was attached and to whom.

"Always."

"Well-"

"Please, do not complete that sentence with "your waiting's over." And, Melody Pond- you're married!" said Amy- quite irritable and flat out cranky after her long day.

Within an instant, both River and the man had their guns out and pointed at each other.

"Whoa. River, what's happening?" Amy asked- suddenly very afraid for her daughter- who promptly ignored her.

"So I guess this means I won't be getting a refill, then?" She stood protectively in front of her mother, judging the best way to disarm the flirtatious stranger.

"It means that just as soon as I get a clear shot I will drop you so fast the other patrons won't know what happened."

"Ha- That would be quite an accomplishment. And what did I do to warrant such special attention?"

"You killed a very good friend of mine."

"Possible. I have been told I have psychopathic tendencies. And I am supposed to be in prison for murder."

"Time off for good behavior?"

"More like an open- door policy. Well. I say open door. More like guards very willing to open closed ones with the… right persuasion."

"Cute. I'll almost feel bad about killing you."

"Oh, you are fun. If the situation were different, I'd almost let you."

"Well now, this little chat's over. Care to move to your right a little? I know how attached Jem is to that particular chair. I'd hate to have to pay for it."

"No no, I know Jem likes the mirror behind you. So please- if you could avoid falling back into that when you crash to the floor- he'd be most grateful."

"River! Tell me, what's-"

"Stay back, Mother. Obviously, this man is unstable. Thinks I killed his friend. And look at his eyes. He has absolutely no qualms about shooting me right now. If he thinks he can shoot faster than me, that is."

"Wait- mother? River? She called you Melody Pond." His confusion _almost_ threw off his guard.

"Yes she did," replied River- still not blinking at the weapon pointed at her.

"You're the woman who killed the Doctor."

"Only once," said the Time Lord himself, entering the door behind them. "Besides- I got better."

"Doctor?! Is that really you? Love the new look! How've you been?"

"Oh, you know- new worlds, new body, running, dying. Same ol' same ol'. Though I'd feel a lot better right now if you'd stop pointing a gun at my wife."

"She's the woman who- wait, what?!"

All of a sudden he felt the sting of a sword against his neck and a gun at his back.

"Oh, of course it would be you. Captain- would you do me a great favor and put down the gun you currently have pointed at my daughter?" said Rory, dad mode in high gear as the man turned his head slightly.

"Centurion! Looking good. So- I'm assuming the box opened for you eh?" He lowered the gun, holstering it with a look at Rory. Then he turned back to River.

"Well, now. Seeing as the Doctor and the Roman seem to trust you- Captain Jack Harkness. Hi," the sometimes- Torchwood agent offered silkily, reaching out a hand toward River.

"Stop it," growled the Doctor and Rory simultaneously.

"Doctor River Song. Tread lightly Captain. My husband gets ever so jealous." River introduced herself with a smug smirk, holstering her own gun once more.

"Only means you're worth getting jealous over," added Jack seductively.

"Hmm. You have _no_ idea." Her voice lowered to match his.

"I'd be willing to learn."

"I'll bet you would."

"Will someone please explain to me what's going on?" asked a very confused and frustrated Amy Pond.

Jack turned toward her, smile dazzling- "Captain Jack Hark-"

"Don't you even think about finishing that sentence, Jack."

"I'm just saying hi, Centurion."

"Well, I know what you mean when you 'just say hi,' and I won't have you saying hi to my wife."

"Your wife? The girl from the box?"

"Amy Pond," offered Amy- smiling as she reached out to shake the Captain's hand, who bent down and kissed it.

"Williams," insisted Rory in this instance, sheathing the sword he'd brought when he'd called Amy midday and heard screaming.

"Now- can you please explain to me, Captain- how do you know my husband, and the Doctor, and why did you pull a gun on my daughter?" Amy asked, slightly less irritable now that amusement had begun to settle in.

Jack eyed her speculatively.

"You and the Centurion, huh? Definitely worth waiting for."

He then turned his gaze to River.

"Nice daughter, too. Gorgeous. You sure you're spoken for?"

"Completely," said River, more than a little pleased at her husband's face- although, she had to admit, had he not seemed slightly jealous, she would have had a different answer for the captain- just to test the Doctor's boundaries.

"So, Captain, which sounds about as legitimate as my husband being a Doctor by the way, why do you keep calling my father Centurion?"

"Ah-" interjected the Doctor, not realizing exactly where his wife was when he came to meet her, "Spoilers."

"What's that mean?" a confused Jack questioned.

"It means, River and I don't always meet in the right order-"

"So you can't give away each other's timelines. Got it. Like another relationship I know of," Jack said pointedly.

"Well- you and I are mostly linear," the Doctor remarked offhandedly.

"You still haven't answered how you know everyone," commented Amy, very intrigued by this man who seemed to know so much about her friend and husband.

"Jack travelled with me- a long time ago. Got killed in a battle against the Daleks; my other companion took the Time Vortex into her head and brought him back- now he can't ever die."

"You mean, he's like you two- he changes?"

"No, he means, no matter what happens- be it suffocation, getting shot, drowning, or getting hit by a 'stray' javelin, I don't stay dead." He glared at Rory.

"In my defense- it was stray! I figured I needed to know as many types of warfare as possible."

"Javelins in the 20th Century?!"

"You try standing outside a box for a few millennia and see if you don't get the smallest bit bored. Not that I wouldn't do it again," amended Rory, catching the slight hurt in his wife's eyes. "River, suffice it to say, there was a point where I didn't die for a few thousand years while I waited for Amy- I was dressed like a Roman Centurion because at the time it made sense. I met Jack after I accidently killed him. Twice."

"Accidently- you aimed at my head!"

"You tried to open the box!"

"Well- I travelled with the Doctor. Something says 'Do Not Enter,' anyone who knows him knows- you enter!"

"So, what happened after that? He just was fine and you stopped killing him?"

"Basically… and then we sort of… hung out. For a century or five. He's a timetraveller as well. It happened in a different order for me."

"Let me tell you- the trouble this guy could get into."

"I kept out of trouble…"

"Yeah, and there I was, to fix that. Anyway, speaking of trouble, Doc- explain to me how you have a wife like this and I don't know about it."

"Oh, it all happened so quickly- I met her, we went out for a few hundred years, then she made an honest man out of me."

"So, how come I wasn't invited to the wedding?"

"Alternate timeline. On top of an American Pyramid."

"Ah- and her parents?"

"I can speak for myself, Captain. I'm part Time Lord- complicated gift of the time vortex-"

"I know the feeling."

"Yes, well, I can regenerate. The rest is simple. I was kidnapped as a baby, brainwashed to kill the Doctor, used my remaining lives to bring him back once I did, then pretended to kill him again so the universe will stop chasing him. Meanwhile, I ran away from my trainers and grew up with my parents. See- simple," she ended with a nonchalant shrug.

"So, basically, all I'm hearing is- the Doctor got married and I still haven't thrown him a stag party!"

"NO- Jack. That's not…" The Doctor didn't know whose look to fear more- his friend's or his wife's.

"Mummy dear- the Captain has a point. Despite your own rather magnificent send off, you're welcome again, I never got one of my own."

"It just sounds so wrong when you say it like that," remarked Rory, still thinking of the baby he'd held not so very long ago- a problem all father's face, he just faced it a few decades early.

River, Jack, and Amy took over the conversation for a while, planning some type of party the Doctor was sure to regret. He especially regretted the fact that River was old enough to have a fairly sizeable list of his old friends. He was planning his escape when he was pulled out of his reverie by realizing the conversation had shifted.

"I'm sorry, Captain. You are very charming in your own right; you just make me inexplicably uncomfortable. Yet, it's something I've felt before. I can't explain it. Are you sure you haven't been to the third moon of Umbar?" asked River, confusion written across her features before Jack shook his head, also trying to remember any connection to the woman in front of him.

"Jack's a fixed point. His immortality makes for a very unpleasant sensation in people who have time itself flowing through them. That probably accounts for the feelings you're having, dear," explained the Doctor, a slight thrill going through him at yet another reminder of his and his wife's similarities.

"So, is that why he can remember Rory, even though you reset the universe?" asked Amy- upon whose lips River placed a finger, stopping her mother from wreaking even more damage on her foreknowledge.

"Probably."

"You'd be surprised how many different times never existed that I remember. I was around for a year that never was- the Doctor really did look his age, then, unfortunately. I still felt the love though, Doc. Then there was this whole period where time stopped moving for quite a while. Funny- I joined a resistance group who were convinced something was wrong. Never met the leader, though I did help capture this woman who was said to have something to do with time colliding like it did. Nasty character. Madame indeed."

He looked at the silent faces around him, realizing he must have said something wrong but totally ignorant of what.

"Something I said?"

"Like I said, Jack- alternate timeline. Churchill was the Emperor."

"So you _were_ there! And you didn't even bother to look me up and say hi." Jack faked offence.

"Bit busy," the Doctor mumbled, then smiled when River took his hand.

"Anyway, I want to know more about this time you spent with my father, Jack," said River anxiously.

They talked long into the night, finally retiring to the TARDIS where Rory and Jack used med bay supplies to heal Amy's ankle. Rory continued to defend his character against the Captain's innuendo and somewhat different memories while the Doctor took them into the vortex. They sat around in the comfy chairs room and the TARDIS suddenly started playing music.

"I've told that man that's the jukebox, not a sweets machine a hundred times!" groaned River, making to get up.

"Oh, leave him. I like this song," said Amy, swaying slightly to the music even as she turned her attention back to Jack.

They reminisced for a while longer until Rory suddenly heard one of his and Amy's special songs; he pulled her up and waltzed lazily around the room, enjoying a quiet evening in after a full day of handling the Doctor all by himself.

Jack opened his arms and River accepted his invitation.

"I have a feeling you dance very well, Captain."

"Well, I've been dancing for quite a while, Doctor Song. Gained a lot of experience."

"Ah. Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Well, what about you? Long life of a Time Lord," he looked her up and down, smiled, and corrected himself, "Lady. You must have had quite a few private lessons in your time."

"We can hear you," reminded Rory grumpily.

River laughed heartily. "Actually, Mr. Harkness, my husband's is the only name on my dance card."

Amy and Rory's heads both jerked up at that statement, not believing what they were hearing. They had spent a lifetime hearing Mels' insinuations and flirtations, the rumors and her own suggestive boasts. Although, given who Mels was, they shouldn't really be surprised that nothing was ever as it seemed with her.

Jack backed up, surprised. He spun River around with a look of shock on his face as she just laughed at everyone's reactions.

"I don't believe you- what about all those stories Amy was telling me about the wild girl from Leadworth? And you went to Luna U! Let me tell you, the anti- gravity parties…"

"Well, pushing boundaries isn't the same as crossing them. Besides- I've been hearing stories about the Doctor since the day I was born. Even when they were training me to hate him, he was always so much more than a just a man to me. Then came the romanticized stories from Amy about a hero who could claim time itself. No one else would have ever compared."

He pulled her into him once more, laughing light- heartedly.

"I believe that was the sound of my heart breaking, Mrs. Song."

"Somehow I believe you'll survive."

"This is the third incarnation I've met of him where he knows me. If I could survive that-"

"Jack, are you trying to steal my wife now?" asked the Doctor as he sauntered into the room, smiling at one of his oldest (in more ways than one) friends.

"More like trying to steal my husband, dear," River replied as the Doctor cut in rudely, grabbing her waist away from Jack and pulling her to him. "Careful, Captain. I'm an only child who doesn't like to share my toys." She winked before putting her arms around the Doctor's neck, batting him on the shoulders for his possessive display.

"Now this is just unfair," said Jack, smiling at the Doctor's same possessiveness- a quality he had had slightly with Rose but had lacked when Jack had found him again travelling with Martha but which he secretly found endearing.

"Come dance with me, Jack," offered Amy.

"Anytime," he grinned, actually keeping a surprisingly chaste distance between the two of them as he remained conscious of the good friend off to the side he hadn't expected to ever see again.

After a couple of days, during which armies were defeated, planets renamed, and the Doctor's stag was thoroughly planned out much to his only slightly- feigned horror, the Doctor dropped Jack off on a distant planet. As he turned once more to say his goodbyes, he gave Amy and River tight hugs, and one long- lasting one to the Doctor, before he turned and very seriously saluted Rory.

"Glad to see you got everything you wanted, Centurion. No man deserves it more. OH! By the way, here's how to contact me. Let me know if you ever need anything. I still have that debt I owe you." He gave Rory a card.

"I told you, you don't owe me anything."

"Yes, I do. So much. To both of you," He looked toward the Doctor.

"I think you and I are far beyond debts, Jack," remarked the Time Lord. A look passed between them, and Jack nodded slightly before making his way out.

"Ladies, lovely to meet you. Looking forward to seeing you soon."

"Oh, I have a feeling we'll be seeing _quite_ a bit of one another, Captain," River couldn't help adding.

"Counting on it."

As they took off into the vortex, Amy and River turned to each other and laughed, delighted in the new friend they had made and the way one lone 51st Century immortal could fluster their husbands so easily. River couldn't shake the feeling she somehow knew him, and Amy couldn't deny the fact she was intrigued by the man who knew her husband and her Raggedy Man so well; plus she remembered an encounter with a future River and the Doctor, in which they had seemed so close with him.

It seemed that now that they'd met him, Captain Jack Harkness was here to stay.


	25. And It Breaks My Heart

**A/N- We had fun with a little humor, but now here's a little angst. Here is my Post- Manhattan Pond tribute. For this reason, I only used moments from the show.**

It had only been two weeks for him. Three weeks since he'd sent his son and daughter- in law off to live a life of adventure. Two weeks exactly since Anthony had arrived with a letter explaining they would never return to him. Two weeks since he'd also taken the Ponds their letter from Amy and together the four of them had grieved and rejoiced in the news of their children. Two weeks of trying to put on a brave face for his friends and in- laws. But now it was time to try to move forward.

He led them into Amy and Rory's house, believing this was a necessary step toward acceptance. They started with the kitchen- Tabetha's pain not allowing her into the more familiar living areas. Augustus went to the front rooms. Well then, if someone had to take the hard parts, it would be him. He couldn't yet make himself open their door, so he started with the spare room his granddaughter and her husband used to occupy when they were over. River had come by now on several occasions, these past couple of weeks, such a magnificent comfort in their time of grief. He decided to just let her deal with her room next time she came.

Of course, that left him with one dreaded room in the house none of them ever wanted to approach. Brian steeled himself, then opened the door to his only child's most private quarters. He looked around and saw all the personal touches of the previous residents everywhere he looked- from pictures to mementos, books and nail polish and combs and clothes. What caught him off guard, however, was the woman sitting in the bed, her body rocking back and forth as she clutched their pillows tightly to her face.

"River?" braved Brian gently.

She turned, surprised at an intruder during her private moment. She considered lying, trying to mask the tears that had been falling so freely down her face, but one look at her grandfather- who stood in sympathy and not judgment- and she couldn't manage it. She simply hugged Amy's pillow tighter to her and looked down before giving her quiet explanation.

"I miss my mum and dad," came the cry of a broken orphan, in a voice smaller than he ever would have thought possible.

"Oh, love," his heart broke for her.

He fell on the bed and wrapped his arms around his granddaughter, his own loss momentarily forgotten as she buried her face in his shirt and cried. Holding her there, this amazing link to the loved ones he'd lost, and he too finally allowed himself the tears that had refused to come for so long.

They cried for what could have been hours or minutes, until both of them were able to sit up and take in the room around them.

He had long ago become one of the only people she'd allowed herself to be vulnerable to, and had stopped apologizing for it when she was a young Mels. So as she glanced around at the only link she could think of to her best friends and parents, she allowed herself to sniff and a few more tears to trail down her face. He, too, let his walls fall with this kindred spirit.

They were silent for a while, simply wallowing in the pain that surrounded Amy and Rory's absence, before he stood up and reached for her hand. She gave a watery smile and allowed him to lead her out of the room and into the kitchen, where her surprised grandmother quickly made her a cup of tea, her other grandfather coming in with a blanket to wrap around her shoulders.

She smiled weakly at their flustered attempts to comfort her, glad for these people still in her life.

Once she had reassured them she would be all right, they stood and collectively agreed that grief should be shared and not experienced alone. So, together, they started in the kitchen, taking stock of every item which would eventually need to be either packed up or tossed away.

The tears came freely as River remembered her mother cooking countless Sunday dinners, her father whipping up a new dessert. Tabitha opened drawers, remembering fixing breakfasts for her feisty little girl not so long ago. Brian saw the kitchen transform as he watched a young Rory listening closely to his mother's instructions as his wife showed his boy how to measure and wait patiently for the best results.

They moved on to the lounge, filled with memories of laughter, heated discussions, and photos of times well- lived. River gently touched one of the plants Brian had still so faithfully tended in her parents' absence. Augustus looked around at all the frames, remembering some captured moments and wondering about the now precious memories he wasn't a part of. They stayed in that room the longest, River once more pulling a blanket around her, sharing it now with a grandparent on each side, as they also went through each album and shared their own memories of Amy and Rory.

They paused in her room, full of the small touches her parents had included to always make her feel welcome. Her mother had always kept a vase of fresh sunflowers in there. Her father had made a sturdy box for her weapons. The TARDIS blue quilt they'd bought together placed on the bed kept a piece of the Doctor near her here when they were apart. The photos that also graced this, her special room, were of a Melody in all her regenerations, placed in such a way that she knew they'd come in here when they needed to remember their child, or to feel close to her when she was off in the stars.

Then, they all once more made their way to her parents' room. To the place where Amy's perfume still graced the vanity and traces of it lingered in the air. Where Rory's scrubs still lay on a chair, one of his kits beside them. Where Amy's short skirts were now folded and moved to the back of a bureau. One of Rory's swords still lay in its box under the bed. This was the place of the everyday life. Of the Girl Who Stopped Waiting and the Centurion Turned Nurse. This was the dwelling of doctor's appointments and money squabbles and lunch meetings and house cleaning. And this was the home of no one who would ever be coming back.

Their parents and daughter looked around, allowing memories and emotions to envelope them, both the good and the painful. The everyday and the extraordinary. The past experiences and now crushed futures. Together they grieved. Together, they tried to heal.

After a day full of tears and few smiles, of taking comfort only in one another's presences, they once more regrouped around the table outside, where River had shared many a night and a glass of wine with Amy and Rory- never to do so again.

"I think we should have a memorial," Brian said, breaking the silence. They looked up at him. "For Amy and Rory. I think we should have a service. Give those who loved them a chance to say goodbye."

"I think that's a great idea, Brian," agreed River, thinking of all the friends who would never understand their absence.

"You mean us, don't you?" asked Tabitha quietly, before looking up into Brian's eyes. "You want me to say goodbye to my baby girl."

"We have to do it, Tabs," whispered Augustus, rubbing her back as tears once more filled her eyes.

"I know. I just… I'm just not ready."

"I don't think any of us will ever be ready," inserted Brian, pain in his every word, "but I won't have my son forgotten."

"He won't be," said River, her father's fierce gaze reflected in her eyes, as her jaw set as stubbornly as her mother's. "There are still legends about the two of them far and wide. But yes, I do think we need to say our goodbyes as well." She looked down as her stomach clenched once more in pain.

Tabitha and Augustus both lifted their heads at this statement. "What kind of legends?" asked Tabitha with hope laced through her voice.

River looked up at that, then sighed as she smiled slightly. "What do you know of the Last Centurion?" she began.

She told stories long into the night, of a man who waited thousands of years for the one he loved, then fought off an army when his beloved was in danger. She talked of a woman who comforted Van Gogh in one of his darkest times, who saved an endangered whale on whose back rode all of England. She told them of another time, where they led a revolution against alien invaders who had long manipulated the human race. She smiled as she talked about a man had never made a distinction between people or their flesh copies, who had punched Hitler in the face and who had once died protecting a man he previously rivaled. Her eyes teared as she spoke of the woman who had forgotten him, but brought him back into existence, who clumsily tried to fight off pirates, who helped melt a cold man's heart, and who had often stopped her own mad man from playing God.

She thought it would hurt, talking about their adventures. That it would be too painful to breathe. And it was at first. But then, as she talked long into the night, she watched the pain melt with joy on her families' faces. The hope and overwhelming love they had for those they had lost became palpable the longer she went on. And then, she realized slowly, she had stopped talking about legends. The soldier who had raised an army to save his wife had also done so to hold his baby girl in his strong arms. The woman who comforted one of the greatest artists to ever live had wrapped her arms around River in her moment of grief. The man who had casually hit a powerful German führer had waited patiently by her bedside when she was ill. The woman who had led revolutions had chastised her for her troublesome ways, bailing her out every time she was in trouble. The soldier on his way into battle had paused to hear her birthday joy. The arms that helped pull time apart had held her close when she was a baby. And the couple who created a paradox that saved New York itself and then couldn't bear to part had once also freely given her to her own spouse.

They weren't the stuff of legends. Not to River Song. They were her mummy and daddy. And now, remembering all that they had been and all that they would be in their new time, she felt the tears fade away. With her mum's parents on her right and her dad's father on her left, she realized she would be fine. She had a loving family who wouldn't let her hurt alone, ever. And, she reflected, in the not- so- distant past, living a life she never could, she had the greatest parents she could ever wish for. And, like their parents surrounding her, she was just so proud.


End file.
